If You Go Down To The Woods Today
You’re in for a big surprise : Digby was flying as he added 4.5 mile to his 16 miles already done today (winning a Carnethy London Marathon place comes at a price).
With the light nights come the joys of being able to run through the trees without head torches but unfortunately the golf course is out of bounds, at least on the way out. The easy group of 11 headed out of KB and up Observatory Road and after a short rest at the end of the tarmac made a direct ascent to the summit of Blackford Hill.
Blackford Hill was bought by the Edinburgh Corporation in 1884, and the adjacent Hermitage of Braid estate was gifted to the city of Edinburgh in 1938 by its final owner, John McDougal. The gift allowed the Hermitage to be used as ‘a Public Park or Recreation Ground for the benefit of the Carnethy Hill Running Club’.
After a regroup on the summit we headed over the two small bumps to the south and down into The Hermitage through the reclaimed quarry. After following the track we reached the eagerly awaited Trees.
Crossing the bridge we chose the muddy track (we are hill runners after all) and wound our way along the south of Braid Burn. A couple of regroup stops and we were at the bridge at the far end. After a short chat we continued back on the north side with a sting in the tail, the steep climb to the hole in the wall and back into Blackford.
A swift contour round the north of the hill to The Obrservatory and it was Dark enough to head across the Golf Course back to KB with Digby leading the way.
Willie Gibson