This time of year, the chances for a good bike ride are few and far between, so we took advantage of a great forecast and headed out straight after breakfast in bright sunshine with only a slight breeze. There was some frost on the ground, but we were well wrapped up. Today’s plan was to cycle past Soutra Aisle for the first time.
We headed up the A7 to the Fala turnoff, then breezed along past Tynehead till we reached the A68. Our aim was to be on the main road as little as possible, so we took the first left after 0.2 miles and headed for Fala Dam. Colette was a bit worried about the possibility of the road being icy, so we didn’t race downhill here. That was a good idea, as a bin lorry was working right at the bottom. We squeezed past then started the climb back out of Fala Dam from a standing start.
The bin lorry overtook us as we crawled uphill, but we caught it again at Fala. There, we turned left, following the minor roads as far as possible until we came out at the A68 again, just 0.3 miles from the Soutra Aisle turnoff. The main road was quite busy, so I was glad to be on it for such a short time. As soon as we turned off and went past the quarry entrance, we were back on really quiet road. The road was fairly steep at this point – enough to feel the burn in my legs, in a good way that is, and we kept going as far as Soutra Aisle itself.
Soutra Aisle
We stopped for some tea from our flask, took a look around and read from the info panels (apart from the west-facing ones, which have been erased by the elements). This is an old burial chamber that lies on the grounds of an important medieval hospital that was run by Augustinian monks. The hospital went into decline following a scandal in the 1460s and was finally completely dismantled, leaving nothing to see now but the Aisle. The view must be just as good as it ever was, as we could see for miles across to Fife in the north and the Bass Rock to the east.
The perfect road for cycling
The weather was fantastic for our day out, as we rode on along the B6368. It was sheltered enough in places to feel some warmth from the sun and the scenery was delightful. We made sure not to hurry this part, as the road was so quiet and peaceful, and such a contrast to the main roads at either end.
Keeping an eye on us
A final steep descent took us to the A7, where I had intended cutting straight across the main road to meet up with the minor road that links Fountainhall with Heriot. However, our intended road was fenced off due to the Borders railway works, which cuts straight across it. The next joining road was also out of bounds, and we nearly reached Heriot before we could get off the A7.
We then made our way towards the Innerleithen road, pausing for a while at the bridge outside Borthwick Hall for a sandwich and more tea. A few miles further along at the T-junction, we turned right onto the A7007 and started climbing the Moorfooot Hills at a leisurely pace. We then had the long descent into Midlothian to enjoy, but not too fast, as the cold wind made my eyes water! All in all, a very pleasant 30 mile ride, and hopefully the weather will provide a good few more opportunities for similar outings over the colder months to come.