Easterly route out of Edinburgh

[toekneep]

Looking at the Edinburgh cycling map the obvious route east out of the city looks like Sustrans route 1 round Holyrood Park. Appearances can be deceptive though, I know. Do any of you Edinburghites have any better suggestion? We will be heading east along the coast, so it doesn't matter particularly where we reach it. Consideration of the fact that neither of us has been to Edinburgh before is probably the most relevant factor.

Thanks.

[Crystal Tips]

The cycle route 1 section at the park is known as the 'Innocent Railway' - it's an off road path.
If you followed NCN1 all the way to Musselburgh it branches off this path, through Newcraighall (not particularly scenic) and wiggling about a lot.

You can just keep following the Innocent Railway after Brunstane but you need to push over a railway bridge (shallow steps - pushable rather than needing to lift the bike ) and then gets quite bumpy and a bit muddy.

Unless you're particularly keen to avoid traffic I would follow London Road (from the top of Leith Walk) all the way to Portobello and then just follow the main roads to Musselburgh. It's not too busy unless you're travelling at peak times.  Depending on where in Edinburgh you're staying the other option would be to go through Holyrood Park on the north section and that joins up with London Road.

Hope that makes sense if you have the mapin front of you!

[toekneep]

Thanks CT, that is exactly the kind of local knowledge I was seeking. We don't particularly seek out traffic free routes and off road isn't what we are looking for either. Traffic doesn't phase us for short distances, we only avoid it because we are touring and traffic isn't what we are looking for generally. We will be coming into Waverley station just after 9am so by the time we have got the panniers loaded up and got our bearings the main rush hour traffic should be dying down. London road looks like a nice straight forward route to get us on the 'open road' fairly quickly.

Now, about your local weather ......

[Crystal Tips]

Weather. Hmmm. How quickly can you get here? It's lovely today 

I assumed you were staying in town for a few days, I wasnt thinking of directly from Waverley. Primarily for tourist reasons to show you the 'nice' bits and avoid the roadworks and buses near Leith Walk I would suggest:

Turn left out of the station ramp, left into Market Street from the mini roundabout, then next right onto Jeffret Street. Next junction turn left at the lights into the Royal Mile. Carry on down this hill to the roudabout at the Palalce of Holyrood. You can stop for a brief look at the Palace and our hugelly expensive parliament, cycle on into Holyrood Park & admire the view. Next roundabout turn left, go though the park, straight over next roundabout and you join London Road.

Not much of a detour, but a nice route to London road taking in some of the best bits of our fab wee city 

[Ariadne]

What date will it be? I'll do a wee sun dance for you...

I have a feeling the road is closed between the roundabout at the end of London Road (or Portobello Rd, as it becomes) and Portobello. So I've drawn a wee route on here.

The only reason I took it down Regent Road rather than Leith Walk is that it's a bit quieter - either will be fine.

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2752281

When you get to the end of my route, Google refuses to accept you can cross Sir Harry Lauder Road but there's a pedestrian and bike crossing! Then straight down into Portobello and turn right.

So, using streetview, this is where you turn right off Portobello Road, onto a little lane, Fishwives Causeway:

http://tinyurl.com/c3to8n

Which looks like this:

http://tinyurl.com/c5wbta (I'll ask the man in the stripy jumper to be there)

This is as far as googlemaps will take me on Fishwives Causeway, but if you follow the cyclist in the picture you'll come to the crossing!

http://tinyurl.com/dgn2pk

Aha - here's the crossing from the far side - if you 'turn round' from here you'll be looking at the road down to Portobello (stay on Fishwives Causeway, not Baileyfield Rd)

http://tinyurl.com/d4dao3

(aha - just spotted Judy's directions - that IS a nicer way, and the above is still useful once you get out to London/Portobello road!)

[toekneep]

Thank you both. Ariadne, thanks for such fine details, as you say we can follow Judy's route from the station but your advice will be invaluable further on. I don't normally bother with too much detail or sticking rigidly to a route but starting a tour by wandering aimlessly and in the wrong direction in the middle of a city can be a bit of a naff way to begin. I promise we will come to Edinburgh to actually take a look at it another time and when we aren't hampered by ironmongery and luggage. Hopefully on a day when yourself and some other YACFrs are available for a pint as well.

Now I have the route out of the city sorted the printer is beavering away turning out more pages. I love this bit, it's really exiting.  Only nine days to go now, I think I might have a trial packing session tonight.