continued from previous page

Starting off from the west end of Princes Street and heading east it's not long before you'll hit your first upward motion. Look to your right with Edinburgh Castle perched on top of a volcanic mound, that's right, you're going up there. At the National Gallery bikes can swing right and onto the Mound - a manmade pile of earth created from the excavations for Waverley Station. But while the road is steep it's mercifully short and with a quick blast you're on the cobbles of the Royal Mile. If you want more altitude head right to visit the castle, but otherwise you can strike mercifully downwards to the left.

This is legal territory, the High Court and the Court of Session (complete with Heart of Midlothian in the paving outside - remember to spit) flank you as you start the descent - something which would be fun and velocity endowed but for the cobbles, the awful road surface, the traffic lights, and the occasional tourist stepping out in front of you to get a picture of any number of tacky Scotland tourist shops which depressingly fill this historic mile.

At the bottom of the hill swing right at the roundabout and you'll hit on the crowning glory of Scottish politics, the blot on the landscape otherwise known as The Scottish Parliament. It's a love-it-or-hate-it building, and I'm firmly on the side of hating it, with its odd straw-like window coverings and strange hairdryer-shaped wall adornments.

But at least they've catered for cyclists with some rather 'interesting' bike parking.

While stopped here you can't help but notice the rather more impressive lump of rock beside the Parliament. Arthur's Seat is another relic of volcanic times, and there's a road runs round it about halfway up. Guess where you're going.

From the Parliament turn left and head through Holyrood park. Towards the end of this road you'll start doing battle with errant swans which will be your signal to turn right and point the front wheel upwards. If you're feeling particularly speedsome you could always try to get up here as quickly as possible to log a time in the Arthurs Seat Challenge (http://www.arthursseatchallenge.co.uk/), but with an average incline of 1 in 15, and one section up to 1 in 9, and with more hills to come, you might be content to try and limit the pain here. Once clear of the climb the views to the south are fantastic, especially scenic out over Dunsapie Loch, and the road round the back is strangely reminiscent of the start of the Italian Job.

The loop round the hill is completed with a nice, fast descent back down to the Parliament (yes, I'm afraid you have to pass in front of it again).

continued on next page