A Scottish commute
 

Since other have done so:

First view from the front door

Next, leaving the village and climbing towards the steps up to the Forth Road Bridge. (These were taken in early April)

Looking back over the house to the rail bridge (over 100 years old and the second longest in the world (was longest when built)

Onto the road bridge. It's a bit of a climb and when very windy, quite scary. Gets closed to bikes in high winds.

About halfway over, the view down the Forth (east) Often oil tankers anchor at Hound point terminal in the middle of the river just beyond the rail bridge. The sunrises are amazing at times.

I'll post more tomorrow.

Fantastic set of pics. Takes me right back to when I used to work in Kirkcaldy and cycle back to Edinburgh at weekends, in 1981. My late father-in-law used to drive trains over the Forth rail Bridge in the 1960s. The road bridge approach roads wrere always a bit difficult, as I remember, cos of the traffic. I used to get off the approach roads at the earliest opportunity and go on the old Queensferry Road through Dalmeny and so forth into Edinburgh. And all this on an overgeared 10 speed I bought for a few pounds.

Well George, that's largely the way I go.

Here is a pic of South Queensferry

I go through South Queensferry and take the cycle path behind the Agilent (formerly HP) plant

A Quick look back from the road out of Dalmeny to the bridges.

Onto the part of the cycle path which runs beside the dual carriageway. I sometimes take the road itself if I want to have a quick trip, but a few cyclists have been killed on it (it's populated by sleepy people driving at the 70 mph limit), so I only do that if it's quiet.

The climb at the end is bumpy and narrow so a bit of a pain.

Across a small bridge over the river near near Cramond

Then through a part of the cycle path between Bruntsfield and the Burgess golf courses (Home of the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers- which does not allow you to take off your jacket in the clubhouse, and I think still doesn't allow women in to the clubhouse except for functions- I could be wrong)

Then on to the cycle path from Silverknowes to the west end of Edinburgh. This was a Sustrans project (I think) using the old railway routes around Edinburgh, now converted to cycle and footpaths. generally, if I'm going to have a puncture it's here, as the local youths like smashing glass.

Just to prove I do see traffic, here is the view as I accelerate away from the traffic lights near Haymarket station.

The red path in the distance is the cycle path and though it looks as if it is in the middle of two lanes of traffic (it is), traffic on the left turns left (except for buses and cabs.

I sometimes move off just before the lights change so I don't get crowded.

here I am at the west end of Princes Street with the castle above (sorry, shooting into the sun)

The view along Princes street (this way only allows buses taxis and cycles)

You can see the Scott monument in the distance (1844) The Scott Monument is 200 ft. 6in. High and 55ft. Square at the base; the highest gallery is reached by climbing a total of 287 steps.

I think you can also just see the edge of the observatory at Calton hill

Looking up to the castle, which is built on an extinct volcano. there was a fortification here from 600AD, but I think the oldest part now dates from 1100AD

The website is here

Just before I turn left I look up to the houses and flats on the Mound and back of the Royal mile (the street which links the Castle to Holyrood Palace.)

The Royal mile is one of the oldest streets in Edinburgh, dating from medieval times there is a Witches Well near the Castle which commemorates the 300 or so women who were found guilty of witchcraft and subsequently executed on this spot between 1479 and 1722.

Like most people who live or work in Edinburgh, I don't give the buildings a second thought, but doing this thread has made me research some things. The city is "hoaching" with history. statues, we've got hundreds :)

Journeys end, and a secure storage for my bike

Said in an Alan Whicker type voice - "And as we leave the historical city of Edinburgh, we think fondly of it, it's history and it's people. As the Scots would say (in any of the tartan and shortbread shops on the Royal mile) - haste ye back"

Apologies for typos, but I'm doing this while tired.

Great pictures and great commute. Thanks.

Great looking commute. You have the luxury of taking a lot of bike paths too!

Wonderful! Thanks, Chewa! :)

Sorry, mate: I interrupted your flow unintentionally. I supposed I should've checked if your were online first. Still, we live and learn. Many apologies. Further wonderful pictures. Many thanks for sharing them.

These pix of commutes are really very nice. But I'm getting very depressed. Chewa, this is not a commute but, rather, a pleasure ride.