Edinburgh A8

[Eoin Rua]

Evening all...

Working at the Highland Show this week - running around picking up all the fences the stoopid horses knock over - so my route to there (basically the airport) takes me along the A8 which was quite interesting to say the least.

Anybody take this route in or out of the city? I know there's a path somewhere along there, to what extent does this follow the road? And is it just a case of gritting the teeth and bombing along it and hope the best?

 

[gavintc]

I used to come back that way occasionally when I wanted a different commute from Linlithgow. The summer is better than the winter. IMO, just grit your teeth and go for it. The worst bit was crossing the airport slip roads, and as you are already coming from the airport, it should not be too bad. If you lose the bottle, there is a path at the side of the A8.

 

[HLaB]

There is a path it runs from at least the west of the viaduct (I'm going to have to look up the name) past the Show Ground.

Edit the Railway Viaduct, Ive joined it from Peniel Pl on the A89 and came in by the Water of Leith Path. Just looked at the Spokes map and the two are nowhere near goodness knows how the Spokes rides have connected them but they've done it often. I've only done it once on a solo ride only as far as the RBS HQ (from town) and stayed on the road; just gritted the teeth as you say and bombed it.

 

[top-tube]

I take this route out of town. I join bus lane on A8 at Murrayfield, follow that to Maybury, then cross onto the shared foot/cyclepath on the North side of the road at maybury. Path then takes you past Gogar, then to southside of A8 over the RBS snowdrop bridge, and continues on the southside of A8 all the way to Ratho Station. I've never dared cycle the A8 road - too many nutters. Cyclepath is fine - occaisionally need to dodge RBS workers goingon foot from Park & Ride to RBS. Depends on where you live in Edinburgh and how adventurous you feel, but you could take the canal from Fountainbridge to Ratho, then back road from Ratho to A8 by the airport.

 

[Halfmanhalfbike]

I cycle this route a lot from Kirkliston into Corstorphine and back

It's OK really. Just got to be careful when crossing the slip roads at the airport.

Take a good secondary position and DONT move from it and you'll be OK