Day 15 Edinburgh to Innerleithen

What a difference a few days makes - gone are the cold northerly winds and incessant rain, replaced with mild temperatures and plenty of sunshine.

I haven't covered a huge distance today, even less as the crow flies, but I have worked hard as it's been super hilly and also very pretty.

Early morning in the Pentlands

Also, I passed the 500 mile mark! All together now; I would ride 500 miles and I would ride 500 more...

From the suburbs of Edinburgh I found a cunning route south around Dreghorn Barracks and up into the Pentland Hills. Up was the word as I did a steep and continuous climb to the flank of Castlelaw Hill at about 1400' before descending to the Glencourse reservoir.

MOD shooting ranges above the reservoir.

Here I picked up a valley route along the picturesque reservoirs. I would not want to be a fish in one of these.

A climb over a pass at Borestane leads via some boggy bits to North Esk reservoir and down to Carlops.

North Esk reservoir was built to supply water to the paper mills below.

After the very cute village of West Linton, I have another big climb over the wild and remote Cloich Hills via the old drovers road. This is the route once used to walk cattle and sheep all the way from Falkirk to Smithsfield market in London for sale.