Turf Zone – GeorgeSquare
The Edinburgh Roon, 140 zones spread across the City of Edinburgh, a turf mission I’ve been sadly neglecting these past few weeks, nay months. August was the last time I’d spent time on turf missions. However, today, I decided it was high time I started ticking off a few of the remaining 55 zones I still had to take, starting at zone NoPalace down in the Comely Bank area of the city. Unfortunately, that was around two and a half miles from my parking spot at Blackford pond.
Actually, it’s not all that bad. Once you reach the Grange area, it’s mostly either downhill all the way, or at least relatively flat. However, being a Saturday, which is not the best of days for cycle turfing across Edinburgh, traffic was heavy, progress was slow and stupid pedestrians wandering onto the road for selfies didn’t help. That is if you are a law-abiding cyclist, which I generally try to be, though I did get tooted at when I misread a double set of traffic lights on Queensferry road. Will know for next time, which was not actually that long away.
My first zone of the Edinburgh Roon, as I mentioned, was NoPalace, which was annoyingly blocked when I arrived. But on the plus side the, 10-minute wait for the zone block to clear was happily spent sheltering under the trees during a short but very heavy sudden downpour. My next target was way across town at Old Surgeons’ Hall, at the University of Edinburgh, the zone name being OldSurgeon. Of course, this was another mile and a half of cycling. My route took me along King’s Stables Road which was closed to traffic and busy pedestrian traffic meant I had to walk the bike. Grassmarket was heaving with tourists.
At zone OldSurgeon a second heavy downpour started but as it was lunchtime, the shelter provided by the covered way offered the ideal place to scoff some grub. I would have used the nearby picnic benches had it not been chucking it down cats and dogs. Right, next target. Checking the list revealed this to be OrchardZone. Now, I wonder where that one is located? I’ll bet you a large Kit-Kat it’s not going to be anywhere close by. And, of course, it wasn’t, it was right down back where I’d been to take zone NoPalace, in the Comely Bank area. Bugger! So, off we go again, taking a different route this time to avoid King’s Stables Road. Again, mostly downhill or flattish.
Of course, the next zone was back uphill again though not so far this time. PairkieZone is located in the Haymarket area, just over a mile away. One thing that I don’t like about cycling in Edinburgh is having to cross tram lines. I always feel a little nervous when doing so and always take them at right angles, or a near as, never at an acute angle. Recollections of a student whose wheel became trapped in the rails resulting in her falling off and being killed under a tram, is always at the back of my mind.
Next on the list was zone PleasanceCut, and yes, it’s again across town in an area of town known as The Pleasance. Thankfully, not too much uphill riding for this one. Along to Lothian Road, across the Meadows and we are there. It’s a strange sort of zone, hidden away in a footpath between tenement blocks. Next, I’m hoping for an easy to reach zone and my prayers are answered. It’s zone PoliceField, located at the top of Leith Walk, almost entirely a freewheel downhill from here.
Now, it might just be me, but the Leith Walk traffic infrastructure is a shambles and whoever designed the tram, bus, vehicle, pedestrian and cycle routes, needs to go back to school and try again. It’s a convoluted miss-mash of trams lines, roads, bus lanes, pedestrian footpaths and cycleway with traffic lights and road marking all over the placed to add further confusion along with silly kerbs that catch you out. However, one thing I did notice is that cyclists who ran with the traffic, avoiding the cycleways, made better progress that I was doing, so perhaps next time I’ll try that.
The next zone wasn’t far away. PrincesZone is only half a mile up in the city centre but alas it was not to be. I’d noticed a lot of emergency vehicles heading towards the city centre but thought nothing of it at the time. However, when I arrived at the east end of Princess Street, flashing blue lights were everywhere. I counted at least six police vehicles and about fifteen police officers milling about. The entire upper area of Waverley Market was condoned off with police tape and officers were keeping people away, even the bus stop was off limits. Looking online only revealed a “serious incident” had taken place concerning a “suspicious package”.
So, that was that. No point continuing without taking PrincesZone as all zones in the Edinburgh Roon must be taken in strict order. Oh well, never mind. I did wonder very briefly if it was worth asking a police officer to let me take the zone but thought I’d better not. I started off this morning with 85 zones taken and have now increased that to 91. Was aiming for 95 or better 100, but there you go. I can always return another day. In any case, it now started chucking it down with rain again. Time to head for home.
One thing I’ve been wary of while undertaking the Edinburgh Roon, is not to take any other zones along the way. It was too easy to take a zone that you would need later and you would find yourself blocked, by yourself and not able to continue. So, I made a point of not taking any additional zones. However, now that I’ve reached zones beginning with “P”, I’ve realised all I need do is avoid taking any zones that begin with the letter “P” onwards. Back soon.
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