Turf Zone – SayAhhh
There are some things you notice more readily when out turfing at night, or perhaps they are just more obvious when you are alone and all is quiet and peaceful around you. For example, the hum of the electrons zooming along overhead wires when you pass under an electricity pylon or the scent of freshly deposited horse droppings thrown up the bike’s front tyre. Or even the clatter of a badger’s claws as it scurries from you along the road. During the day, these sights and sounds are often lost. Such was my trip to Dalkeith country park.
However, all this almost didn’t come to pass when I arrived at the gate to Dalkeith country Park (DCP). I rolled up to the gate on the Trek Farley fat bike, aka Charlie Farley*, rummaged in the handlebar bag for my Friends of DCP Acorn 24-hour access pass and swiped the reader at the gate. No welcome message was forthcoming, only invalid card, said the robot lady inside. I tried again a couple of times but no luck. Only when I checked the card did I realise the issue. My pass had expired. Bugger! I later checked my email and found it expired in August last year! Better get it renewed.
Then something strange occurred. First there was a click and the gate moved, opening slightly, followed by the same nice robot lady saying welcome. I was in. Now how did that happen? My best guess is that the duty security person watching me on the gate CCTV saw what was happening and let me in. Or perhaps the turf gods were watching this daft fat bike riding turfer out at silly o’clock and intervened. We shall probably never know for sure.
It was the back of midnight when I set off from home, rumbling down the cycleway on Charlie Farley, the big tyres doing their best attempt at an army Landrover impression. Lots of bats flying about hunting the moths that are attracted to the streetlights. If you stop and stay still you get some amazing close-up views. Place was dead quiet, as you might expect for the hour, just the usual taxi’s zooming about and the occasional odd person popping up when least expected. No other turfers about either, just some who have left their turf app on and are ready for bed.
One thing I find about silly o’clock turfing is the challenge of actually getting out of a warm, snug bed and heading out into the night. Many a time I’ve planned an outing, prepped the bike, laid my clothing out, checked the weather, decided on a route and so on yet fail to swing those lazy legs over the side of the bed or sometimes remain blissfully asleep until morning. I’m usually pretty good at setting my internal alarm clock but sometimes the body overrules and I stay asleep.
The weather tonight was fairly mild, temps around 12 degree and a gentle breeze, or if you prefer, a Force 3 on the Beaufort Scale. It was that middling temperature between being comfortable in shorts and t-shirt yet needing a windproof in the more exposed areas. I love encountering the sheltered places where the warm air hangs about, then you descend a few meters into colder air, usually down by the river or low-lying land.
A good example is the beech wood to the right as you enter DCP. Instead of following the tarmac road, veer right behind the church and follow the dirt road. The upper stretches of the track, its gravel here and can be muddy at times, are usually warm but when you reach the River North Esk, conditions can go brass monkey. The track here is perfect for fat biking, Charlie Farley was fair pelting along riding over everything without effort. Felt like I was riding a comfy armchair.
I wasn’t planning on turfing all the zones in DCP tonight, just aiming for those still sitting at neutral status, that’s the usual suspects at the far end of the estate, along the dirt track that follows the River Esk. There were four such zones, DoNOTCrossEsk, TheUnknown, YouAreTheAce and BridgeOfFaith. Of the four zones, TheUnknown and YouAreTheAce are probably taken the least, partly due to their remote location in the park but also due to the estate doing its best to discourage any access there other than horse riders. There are now staff access only signs all over the place. These seem to have replaced the horses only signs. The woods here are called Eastfield Woods, should be have any desire to lodge a complaint about this blatant breach of the Land Reform Act (Scotland) 2003.
There’s always wildlife in DCP at night. Rabbits are the most common with roe deer a close second. Saw two badgers in this trip, one feeding along the main access road to the Melville Gate and the other on the track near zone BridgeOfFaith, which, I should mention is closed off and I had to climb the barrier to get a GPS signal taking the zone. A third badger was spotted on my return home in Kirk Bank Wood.
To leave DCP you don’t need an access card, there’s a press button beside the pedestrian gate, which also prevents you being trapped when the main gates are locked around 7.00 pm each evening. A couple of police vehicles were patrolling through Dalkeith town centre, no doubt on the watch for anything or anyone dodgy. Strange that I always feel slightly uneasy when I see police when I’m out turfing at night. Why is that, I wonder?
Everything I’m doing is legal. All the access right we have here in Scotland under the Scottish Outdoor Access Code extend through the day and into the night. I have front and rear lights on the bike, though no reflectors on front, rear or pedals. I’m not cycling on the pavement, well, not at that moment in time anyway. I’ve not ignored any red traffic lights. Or have I? Might have done. Not sure. I wonder if the act of turfing might look suspicious? Riding about at all hours, here there and everywhere, stopping and starting, looking at the mobile phone. Maybe, maybe not.
Anyway, a very pleasant couple of hours riding the fat bike though deserted streets and empty countryside, just me and the wildlife, taking a few zones, watching the stars and passing UFO’s, listening to mysterious creatures rustling in the undergrowth, hoping that passing police car doesn’t stop and generally having a thoroughly enjoyable time. What more could you ask for? Well, more of the same, I would suggest.
*Charlie Farley, named after a detective character in the Two Ronnies spoof Jack the Ripper sketch series, The Phantom Raspberry Blower of Old London Town featuring Charlie Farley and Piggy Malone.
Copyright ©2025 Gary Buckham. All rights reserved.
