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A few years ago I collected together some tracks I was discovering in the Pentland Hills and stuck them together using Google Earth and then shared it on a website. When some of the tracks started to get a bit worn by the amount of traffic, I took the decision to remove the link and, since then, I've only shared it with folk who asked and with the proviso they didn't publicise it too widely.
As a result of various discussions centering round the ill-fated attempt to get a MTB Marathon running up there last month, I got rather overwhelmed by requests and I'm sure there are some folk I just didn't get back to.
First of all, I'd like to apologise for my tardiness. It didn't help that I moved house and changed email provider recently either.
Having now considered that knowledge of these trails has become so wide-spread that there's little point in trying to suppress the information - and that a couple of versions of my original collection can now be found via google in any case - I've now put a newer version online [url= http://www.blog.scotroutes.com/p/pentlands-mountain-biking-routes.html ]here.[/url]
Usual caveats; please ride responsibly, look after the trails, etc. etc.
I'm no longer updating the map and there may be some tracks you know of that don't appear on it. That may be deliberate 😉
*looks forwards to Scotroutes google earth map of Badaguish routes 8)
But geoff, they are already on a map 😆
In any case, a quick look at stravaaaaaaaaaaaaa segments for any given area tends to show up the trails that are being ridden.
Thanks you taking the time. Loaded on my garmin ready for this weekend. I'd been using your previous one that ended up being 'borrowed' and hosted elsewhere.
Bookmarked - lovely work!
Nice one. A friend (and someone I think you know too SR) was involved in the setup of the Marathon and we discussed this very subject.
I will treat them gently!
I miss the Pentlands, after ten years riding in the area I was still able to find a brand new linking trail between two established favourites, big fast and grassy in classic Pentlands style 8)
Well done Colin , I used your KMZ original Pentlands file when I first started venturing up there a good few years ago.
Well done Colin , I used your KMZ original Pentlands file when I first started venturing up there a good few years ago.
Well done Colin , I used your KMZ original Pentlands file when I first started venturing up there a good few years ago.
thanks, will have a look for nostalgia's sake (like 13 f m I've now moved away from the area).
Ditto on the linking routes, on my farewell ride was still able to find 'new' (to me) sections of path.
Was nice to some of the old stagers (paths and riders) appear on Strava as well.
Was it really 1986/7 that I first started cycling up there? oof.
oh, and welcome to the North.. 🙂
I guess it falls to someone else to carry on developing this map if they want to. Not being local now, I don't have the opportunity.
I think your map was just right, enough to get people out and enjoying the Pentlands, but not enough to remove the fun of exploring for yourself, which given the relatively small size of the park was still a big bit of the fun for me.
As an aside, I had started to develop a (slightly weather dependent) game of trying to clean the nastiest climbs (Allermuir, Dreghorn, White Hill etc) which was great because it opened up new routes, made you view existing routes differently and typically resulted in some great descents once you'd finished coughing and the spots before your eyes went away...
I think RobGarrioch was playing the same game for a while.
A blatant plug for some friends of mine...
Starting this weekend (hopefully) they'll have a trailer at Harlaw Visitor Centre selling a selection of snacks and drinks. This sort of thing..
[img] 
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Food is locally sourced where possible. Much of it will be organic.
Promises to be a lot better than the occasional energy bar 🙂
I missed this 8 months ago, I'll have to bookmark it now. 🙂
I dimly recall feeling proud many years ago that a trail name I coined appeared on one of your original maps, but I never kept track of the map. I bet there's tons of stuff on it that I should be riding, but aren't!
If this had been a few weekends ago in the driving rain I would have smashed that!
ChrisL - what trail did you name?
The name One Tree Hill certainly appeared on some online map and I managed to come up with that name all by myself. 🙂 That's not to say that others hadn't had the same idea though!
In the years since them the name has become ironic as a big shortcut got ridden in and the original line, which passed under a low branch from the titular tree faded away.
I remember a sweary chrisl on a Pentland night ride many years ago......
Hello Graeme!
Will the coffee be up to stw standards?
Is an advance party going to check it out?
Will counselling be available if the coffe is not up to stw standards?
I volunteer to test on saturday
So how is the current drive to make all the Pentland tracks wheelchair friendly going?
Living in the north side of Embra I must confess that the extra 40mins of riding through the town just to get to Bonally makes riding there not worth my while. I would really like to enjoy the Pentlands but I just can't help finding them really, really boring.
Where can I get therapy??? 🙁
Well, just as well the Golfie is only 50mins down the road by car! 😀
I haven't come across any wheel chair friendly path in the pentlands
[quote=cynic-al ]
Will counselling be available if the coffe is not up to stw standards?
There would certainly be grounds for a complaint...
How's Chris?