[Closed] Pentland experts

Tricky, I think you'd need to go via Castlelaw and do a bit of road down to that pub then over the kips..so a bit of tarmac, but not all the way by the reservoirs.

Definitely possible, you could take a low route down from hill end past the Swanston golf course and following the red muddy landrover tracks round to Dreghorn, take one of two different climbs up onto the side of Capelaw, descend toward Bonaly reservoir, down Phantom's Cleugh, up Maiden's Cleugh, past Threipmuir and Harlaw then the inevitable tarmac descent into Balerno.

There's probably two or three 'high' options as well, over Caerketton ridge to Allermuir, down Allermuir and up on to Capelaw, take the ridiculous descent down the side of Capelaw and cross Phantom's to climb the side of Harbour Hill, descend Harbour hill to White Cleugh and join the Black Hill traverse to eventually lead you to Green Cleugh, follow that to Exponential, take one of the descents down the side of the tarmac, do a sneaky lap of the red moss nature reserve, then the inevitable tarmac descent down to Balerno. Most of the above would be a bit stupid if its still as wet as I hear its been up there.

I can't believe I'm sitting in Vancouver on a beautiful sunny autumnal morning fantasising about Pentland's routes! 8)

I'd get out riding before the rain comes back 😉

Haha, I take every dry day as a blessing right now!

I've been away for a few years but today was my first ride back in the Pentlands. Yellowbrick road was a nightmare, mud on the steep climbs made it pretty much impossible to climb. The valley was fine but the climb up to black hill was a total pain, i slipped and bailed out, foot went down into about 2 feet of mud!

Anyone fancy a riding buddy ? I don't know any other routes through the hills !

Hillend to Swanston Village is signposted off the A702. Beside the Steadings at Swanston another track carries on to Dreghorn where you will find a path with a few steps leading up around the back of the Scout centre.
This brings you to the foot of the One Tree Hill descent and then the Bonaly car park.

Hmm ok. Anyone up for it sometime ?

Druid how to Balerno?

Bonaly to Balerno - either up Puke Hill, turn right before the top gate, through the woods and down the wee (now washed out) rocky descent to Clubbiedean or head straight from the car park over to Torduff to Clubbiedean. Mid Kinleith, Ranges Road/Pistachio to the gate then down to the Rangers Centre. Either head round/past Harlaw to Threipmuir and down past the SSPCA or, from Harlaw, down the wee path beside the Rangers Centre.

No tarmac in that?

There is from Kinleith to the bottom of Pistachio/top of Kirkgate.

Puke Hill/Maidens is Tarmac free.

From beside the Fort at Clubbiedean (where the corner of the track has almost disappeared) you can lift your bike over the fence and then go uphill to the woods and follow a grassy track past them to the old rifle ranges at the top of Pistachio. You'd want it to have been dry or very cold as it's tough going. It would work best with a Fatbike.