The Easy Run: The plan was to head to to Arthur’s Seat, a bit over the promised 4 miles but the other’s had headed for The Seat already so off we went. The route took us through Inch park and then into Prestonfield and over the wall onto the Innocent Railway. After a photo stop at the tunnel we took the 7 Hills route to the summit. The left hand path to the summit was a bit more slippery than usual and with a couple of cragfast runners, 3 of us turned round and headed back and then up the path to the East Top of Crow Hill and waited for the summiteers. After a descent down the slippy steps to the top of Hunter’s Bog we crossed paths with the 7 o’clockers before doing the Pollock squeeze and headed back to KB after saying goodbye to a USA bound Anya on Dalkeith Road. 4.9 miles! A nice night for a run. Willie So many runners on AS last night! From our vantage point we could see the social group’s hazy string of lights ascending the crags, a mystery wavy line of red and white lights making their way along Hunter’s Bog, and back down at the col found a marshal asking us if we were part of the 5k or 10k race. All this to the backdrop of a sparkling clear view of the city. Digby |
Fast group: 13.3 miles, 2hrs, 25mins, 3,161 ft ascent. With the 7 Hills & 7 Beers in less than 2 weeks time, we decided some route/pub reccying was in order. So first to Blackford Hill, and then across towards Arthur’s Seat to check out a couple of alternative ascents. From Holyrood we passed the Kilderkin pub (last pub on the route) and up to Calton Hill where we could see the social group’s lights descending Arthur’s seat like a waterfall. Onto the Castle esplanade and then down to Johnstons Terrace and onto Morrison Street. We left the 7 hills route here, to gain the canal to Craiglockart, speeding along the solar powered runway lights that mark the tow path. At Craiglockart View we paused to look at a war memorial, complete with freshly laid poppies for Armistice Day, a cairn built in 2012 to commemorate the lives of the five brave airmen who died when their Wellington aircraft crashed on 14th December 1942. From Craiglockart Hill we continued to Braid Hill, checking out the 2 pubs at the Braid Hills Hotel, and then onto Blackford Hill, checking out the golf course clubhouse bar (no sign of it being open). And then back to KB. The 7 Hills and 7 Beers challenge is on 21st November, check out social events page for details. Graham Nash |