Culross Pier - Summer Spokes Ride

The final Summer Spokes Ride in meteorological autumn sees me lead a ride around the Forth from Edinburgh, Forth Road Bridge, Culross, Kincardine, Clackmannanshire Bridge, Kelpies, Linlithgow and back to Edinburgh. A distance of just over 100km

Unfortunately it is quite cool, but the breeze is quite light and no rain is forecast. There are six people on the ride including me.

The ride out is somewhat delayed as the Kiltwalk is taking place. We're not in a hurry, so we just gently overtake when and where we can. Thankfully at Silverknowes they head north and we head west. We follow NCN Route 1 to, and over the Forth Road Bridge.

From there we take NCN Route 76 Round the Forth west along the north coastline of the Forth. First through Limekilns and up the cobbled climb to Charlestown. There is narrow path along the A road to Crombie, and then we descend down to Crombie Point. Its a nice ride along the coast to Torryburn.

We're on a B road for a wee while, and at Newmills, we head down a minor road and join an ash path, which is slightly damp in places, through Low Valleyfield. Near Culross, we cross the railway and we're back on a tarmac path.

Its just a short hop from here to the park beside the path, where we have lunch. The wasps are out in force, so it is a quick lunch before we head to a wee café for coffee and cake.

Surprisingly we are ready to carry on west at about 20 past 1. I stop to take a photo of Culross Pier, and then dash off to catch up with the rest of the gang. The path from Culross to Kincardine is segregated from traffic. It is nice and quiet. Longannet Power Station has shut down now, so there's no humming as we pass the power station. The path goes under the Kincardine Bridge, into Kincardine. It joins a very quiet road.

Where we pass over the A876, we turn south. This takes us on to the Clackmannanshire Bridge. Its a bit noisy and breezy. The cycle path goes on to a minor road for a wee bit, before returning to a path, then a bridge over the wide A road.

This brings us to the Skinflats, Scotland's miniature version of the Fens. Land reclaimed from the Forth and used for agriculture. An oasis of peace between the busy Forth crossing, Grangemouth with its oil refinery and Falkirk. As we head south, the Kelpies appear, small at first, on our right.

Carrying on, the Kelpies occasionally disappear behind trees, and then reappear slightly larger, until on Newton Road, they start to loom. We cross over the River Carron, and head down the rebuilt section of the Forth Clyde canal to the Kelpies (see Extra for a photo of Kelpies and participants)

There is the maze of Falkirk to be navigated so we can access the Union canal. The initial bit is the Helix park, which isn't too bad, but next a combination of off road paths and minor roads. The canal at this point is a rough path, and we follow this to Muiravonside Parish Church and Cemetery. A nice descent from here takes us through Whitecross to Linlithgow Bridge. 

Linlithgow is always busy, thankfully its not too bad. We are through and then on to road to Kirkliston. The B road climbs out of Linlithgow, and then a rolling and slowly descending route through Bridgend, Threemiletown and Winchburgh. Once over the A9, there's a fast descent in to Kirkliston.

This is the final par of the ride. We go through Carlowrie to Cramond Brig, then on to NCN Route 1, which we follow back to Russell Road and the end of the ride. On the Roseburn Path, we catch up with fragments of the Kiltwalk, but overtaking these small groups is a lot easier.

Where the path ends, the ride ends and its time to go home.