To the Kelpies and beyond!

One fine November weekend and we head up to Edinburgh, Stuart's home town.  It is looking particularly beautiful this weekend

Our good friend Sarah, had offered to show us the Kelpies, a new installation near Falkirk.  Due to a suspicious communication error (Sarah was intending to drive us to Falkirk, but Stuart had interpreted this as, we must bring bicycles as we are going to cycle there) we find ourselves setting off on another bike ride on a beautiful late autumn day.

The weather was glorious (well, until the return journey).  Not a breath of wind and cloudless blue sunny skies.  We catch the train to Falkirk and then it is a short ride to the Kelpies mainly along a canal tow path.

The Kelpies are magnificent.  A stunning sculpture, 30m high, that was completed in October 2013.  We spend at least an hour here, wandering around, taking photos, marveling at the grandeur.

The plan for the return journey was for Jacky and myself to catch the train back and for Stuart, Richard, Sarah and John to cycle all the way back to Edinburgh.

However, because the weather is so beautiful, Jacky and I decide to join the others on the return journey. (Ominous dark rain clouds enter stage left).

We now have a very interesting bike ride o'er hill and dale and boggy field and muddy shoreline and leafy forests.  I'm now glad I am on a clunky old town bike, rather than my sleek road bike (despite earlier moans to the contrary).

Here is a map of the route we took back from the Kelpies. Note I have highlighted the two "getting lost" points, and with special thanks to John who was responsible for getting lost point 2!  This was a particularly steep hill that we climbed before we realised that we were going the wrong way!

Fortunately, the rains held off until near the end of the ride.  It was getting dark, so we decided to complete the end of the journey by jumping on a train at South Queensferry, but not before a bowl of very fine Cullen Skink at a wee cafe called the Ravenous Beastie.