The Herald - The Herald Magazine
Beyond the festival Comedian Craig Hill shares his favourite Edinburgh nooks and crannies
IGOT into cycling years ago when I lived in Morningside, looked over a bridge and saw a disused railway line. I know that sounds like a weird beginning to a passion for cycling, but
I then discovered Edinburgh had these old railway routes that had been turned into cycle paths. (By the way, spellcheck keeps on spelling that as psychopaths!)
I had no idea there was such a simple way to get around Edinburgh without having to be in traffic, so, initially, I started cycling because I was just exploring these old routes, then discovered quite quickly what a peaceful way it was to get around the city.
No traffic to worry about, no stopping and starting at traffic lights, feeling the wind in your hair years after you’ve lost it and finding, in a short time, how all the areas of your city link together. And the only noise you hear is birdsong – it’s so relaxing.
The real discovery was the Union Canal linking Edinburgh and Glasgow. I had no idea Edinburgh had a canal and when I take a day out to cycle along the canal I feel like I’ve escaped to the country. Everyone is chilled and friendly and says hello like it’s 1952.
There’s a fantastic little canal barge turned into a beautiful cafe I stop off at called The Counter, which, if you’re a coffee lover, uses its own wee blend roasted locally by Mr Eion. And all the homemade baking is done on the boat. It sits in a very pretty setting right alongside the early 1900s’ Leamington Lift Bridge allowing you to cross the canal.
One of my favourite things to do in Edinburgh is cycle along the Water of Leith all the way to the Gallery of Modern Art via Dean Village, which was an old milling village where they’ve been milling grain for 800 years.
I’m a big fan of cycling in most cities (the hills of Lisbon during Eurovision were a good test) and I love those cycle schemes that make it so much easier. I was doing a gig at Dundee Rep recently and stayed overnight simply so I could use the new Bike and Go scheme where the idea is you get off the train, pick up your bike at the train station, explore the city then leave the bike back at the station.
I think the appeal of cycling is discovering all the nooks and crannies that you might not have noticed in a car. I love how easy it is when something takes your fancy to lock up the bike and explore. I think it’s a more exciting way to see a city when you can simply turn left or right because a building catches your eye and discover a whole part of the city you didn’t know about.
When I went to Berlin my friend and I hired bikes for the whole two weeks and I now feel like I know that city really well.
I love walking, but it can take days to get to know a city walking. I think it’s a great way to get the city in your head and to not always be led by the guidebook version of the city. The bike allows you to create your own guide.
When people recommend things to do or you’re reading an article about a restaurant, a place for lunch, a building, a museum or a park, I do think you’re much more likely to go when you’ve got the bike because it takes so little out of your time to go and explore something. And if it doesn’t work out you just turn the bike around and head back.
I certainly think it’s made me a more adventurous traveller. You can even pop your bike on the train and check out surrounding attractions.
I had a fun day recently taking the bike on the train to the Falkirk Wheel and cycling all the way back.
Also, I like how practical it is. When I’ve got a list of chores to do I seem to storm through them when I do them on the bike. I used to be quite guilty of just focusing on