Braid and Blackford – Edinburgh Photography by Dave Henniker

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Capelaw Court, Allermuir Court and Caerketton Court stand on the flood plain of the Braid Burn, about 1 Kilometre west of Buckstone Snab, the vantage point for this picture.

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'Rust never sleeps' is the title of an album by Neil Young, and this fence illustrates this effect. The rusty old gate shown here hasn't been in regular use for a while. The gorse alongside the road is still thriving, despite the meadow beyond being turned into a golf course.

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A little further east along the road, past the tree-lined Howe Dean path is this view of south east Edinburgh. At the bottom of the slope to the left is Blackford Glen Road leading to the junction with Liberton Brae. Craigmillar court and Peffermill Court stand to the left of the hill with Craigmillar Castle on top. The white tower in the centre of the Picture is Liberton Fire Station at Kirk Brae. The housing estate beyond is The Inch.

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Looking back to the north west. Beyond the wrecked rusty fence can be seen Blackford Hill and the Royal Observatory. The gorse-free area in front of it is Blackford Hill Quarry (disused), filled in with rubbish and a layer of topsoil then grassed over.

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A picture of the 'mad mile'. Craighouse is in the distance.

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Christmas dinners on legs. At least these poor beasts are free range, if slightly muddy. The Royal Observatory is at the other side of Blackford Glen.

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Blackford Glen Road still has farm land on its south side. This is the view up to Liberton Tower.

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This 15th century building has been recently renovated. You can stay here on holiday or hire the tower for conferences.

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A sunny day at the start of July 2011. This is an infrared view of the path up to Buckstone Snab from Braid Road just south of Braid Mount.

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Small thistles growing beside the Bridle Path which runs from Braid Hills Golf Course clubhouse alongside Braid Hills Drive for most of its length. A honeybee and a bumblebee, I'm reliably informed.

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Braid Farm Road is at the western end of this meadow. One of its back gardens has several cylindrically shaped shrubs, pictured here.

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Showing all five cylinders. The one on the right is the odd one out.

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The middle three in infrared.

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The view east in infrared. The foliage reflects the IR light but the blue sky appears dark. Compare this with the next view in normal colour.

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Behind the trees the land drops away steeply down to Blackford Glen and the Hermitage of Braid. Same viewpoint as the previous infrared picture.

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The footpath runs beside the Braid Burn and crosses it once or twice on the way upstream towards the Hermitage building.

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The Hermitage of Braid photographed in infrared from the footpath. A great deal of invasive rhododendrons have been cleared from this area giving new views.

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A recently renovated (2014) entrance to the Braid Hills from Braid Hills Road not far from the east end of Braid Farm Road.

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Further east along the road is Howe Dean, the footpath leading down into Blackford Glen. Blackford Hill's summit appears white, not because of snow but because the picture is infrared.

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Wooden steps lead down into the glen.

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Garlic carpets the ground beside the footpath.

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Near the bottom of Howe Dean a tree stump is being recycled by fungus.

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November 2008 in Blackford Glen. The beech trees are characterised by their smooth grey bark and small oval leaves, now in their autumn colours.

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Two infrared views taken in August 2012.

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Looking directly down the path toward Blackford Hill.

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I gave the topiary the infrared treatment using a modified Pentax *ist DSLR.

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Beside the new foot bridge over the burn is this fine wooden sign.

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Gales in January 2012 and heavy rain in June have taken their toll on many mature trees. Nature, of course, doesn't waste organic material and the logs are being recycled by moss and fungi, as well as burrowing insects.

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If you're near the Hermitage of Braid there are public toilets here.

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Is this the beginning of the urbanisation of this area? What's next - more tarmac and concrete? Perhaps barbed wire and security guards...

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It wasn't too bothered by our presence as we moved slowly and kept our distance. In this picture I seem to have captured it blinking as there seems to be a bluish membrane over its eye.

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No blink here; its eye appears black and shiny.

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After a few minutes the crow took off, flying past the observatory.

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Near the top of the hill this bench is an ideal spot to rest and take in the stupendous view.

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Whilst we were sitting on the bench a crow came and checked us out.

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Blackford Hill Viewfinder provided by Friends of The Hermitage.

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Down near The Hermitage is this old brickwork beside the Braid Burn.

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It would appear to be some sort of cistern which originally served the building downstream.

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Contrasting colours and textures.

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At the Hermitage of Braid there's a path at the back of the building which leads up to Midmar Paddock. Beside the path, not far from the Hermitage building is a musical instrument of sorts, made from found materials (branches) and suspended from the tree's wavy branch.

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This is the view of the musical tree from the slope behind it. (5th November 2014)

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HD picture of some strange fungus growing on dead wood at the bottom of Howe Dean.

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A wider view of the scene. The fungus resembles black fingers.

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Photographed at the same location. At first glance this fungus looks like apricots.

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The wee weir between Braid Road and the Hermitage of Braid.

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Looking down on the weir.

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A few metres downstream fron the weir looking upstream.

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Further downstream. The last 4 photos were not taken using a long exposure. The app in the Sony RX100M4 camera instead takes multiple exposures and combines them.

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The view to the top of Morningside Road from Braid Hill.

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Wester Craiglockhart Hill is more south of Easter Craiglockhart Hill than west. It's awkward to get to, largely due to landgrabbing golfers. In the distance are the shale bings near Broxburn and Winchburgh in West Lothian. The former City Hospital in the foreground is the Steils housing project.

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The A702 Comiston Road runs south through the picture starting at the bottom right. Green foliage reflects infrared light most, making it appear white in monochrome.

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A later picture taken after my Pentax *ist camera was modified for infrared only.

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The wooded hill that overlooks Bonaly, though from this viewpoint it's the Oxgangs area in the foreground.

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Photographed from Braid Hills Drive. The Observatory dome is 700 metres away; Salisbury Crags are 3.4Km away.

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Blackford Hill and the observatory, October 2009.

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Blackford Hill on the right, Corstorphine Hill in the distance on the left.

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Braid Hills Road and Braid Hills Drive are the same road. West of Braid Farm Road it's called Road rather than Drive. There's a slow battle between the rusting railings and the gorse bushes.

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In some places rust appears to have eroded the iron railings completely leaving only traces under the thriving gorse bushes beside the footpath.

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Looking east towards Liberton. Most of the north side of this road is lined with rusty railings and gorse bushes.

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This picture taken in August 2013, one year later than the first batch above.

Oxgangs copper rooves

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This is a view of Esdaile Court, built in the Scottish Baronial style of architecture and subdivided into individual houses.

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Holy Corner is on the left and to its right stand the tenements of Bruntsfield Place. The green domed turrets are at the former Donaldson's Hospital / Donaldson's College near Haymarket. The multistorey block of flats is Martello Court at Muirhouse.

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Kestrel 4th April 2017 Braid Hills

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It wasn't especially hot or dry but because of the steep slopes, gorse fires spread rapidly upwards. August 2010.

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Appropriately named, Hillend is indeed at the end of the hills. The dry ski slope extends about halfway up the east end of Caerketton hill.

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Near the summit stands the radio tower, doubtless sending and receiving data to and from Hawaii and the universe in general. The rough path in the foreground leads down to wooden steps.

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The two hills are Easter Craiglockhart Hill on the left and Wester Craiglockhart Hill on the right upon which stands Napier University's Craighouse Campus. When this was a psychiatric hospital I used to visit quite often to service TVs in different wards.

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I zoomed in here on the Craighouse Campus. Its future use may be uncertain at the end of 2011.

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A large, desktop wallpaper sized image showing the Bass Rock and North Berwick Law as seen from Braid Hills Road.

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Because the foreground is the golf course's ugly fenced compound I've cropped it out and made a letterbox shaped picture of the view. Arthur's Seat and the observatory are at the right.

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Looking south from Blackford Hill across to Braid Hills Road. Hillend is visible at far right.

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Torphin is the distant Hill at the north west corner of the Pentlands. Nearer to the camera is what remains of Braid Meadow and the cylindrical topiary I've photographed from closer up.

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Zoomed in more. This shows the green area at Craighouse where a developer wants to build.

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Zooming in on the spire of the Cluny Centre also shows the background of red shale bings between Broxburn and Winchburgh.

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Referred to as the T Woods but the shape is more like a St George's cross as seen from above. Caerketton hill overlooks the scene. Swanston village is in front of the woods on the right. (Jan 2010)

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Two little birds perch on the branches in the foreground. Beyond the local mist a few buildings dominate, the highest of which is Martello Court at Muirhouse. A fog bank lies along the Firth of Forth.

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Morningside's Maxwell Street as at bottom right. Chimneys add to the foggy haze obscuring George Watson's school on Colinton Road. The snowy hills of Fife can be seen over the fog on the Forth.

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Panning a little to the west gives this view of Napier University Craighouse Campus on the left with Corstorphine Hill and the Ochil Hills in the distance. A plane is flying west to land at Edinburgh Airport.

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Edinburgh Castle stands out in front of the fog bank lying along the Firth of Forth. Scottish Widows Headquarters U-shaped Morrison Street building as at the left. Twin rows of tenement flats are at Morningside's Woodburn Terrace. Barclay church (beside Bruntsfield Links) is dead centre .

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Morningside Road runs diagonally through the picture. Morningside Station is at bottom left behind Cluny Parish Church. St Mary's Cathedral's 3 spires poke through the mist. Fife hills are clearly visible over the fog.

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The rear of George Watson's school on Colinton Road is now visible as the mist clears in the morning sunshine..

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Edinburgh Castle again. On the right of the picture stand the white buildings of Ramsay Gardens. Further away the new multi-storey flats at Leith's Western Harbour can be seen beyond the castle esplanade.

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Morningside in the foreground with Corstorphine Hill and Fife beyond. The half timbered building on the right is beside Myreside Road. Playing fields are nearby.

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The Firth of Forth, Edinburgh Castle and Arthur's Seat are just visible at the top of the picture. A few footprints can be seen on the abandoned golf course.

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Entering the Herb Garden fromthe top path.

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Steps leading down to the Braid Burn

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Informative slate plaque about thyme

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All about St John's Wort

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Wild Strawberry

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Thrift

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Beautifully buit stone bench

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An overall view of the Herb Garden with the doocot at the back

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Buckstone Snab as seen from the summit of Braid Hill.

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Craighouse from Braid Hill

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Morningside Road from Braid Hill. The roof carpark at Waitrose is on the right.

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Woodburn Terrace from Braid Hill

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Buckstone Snab with Dalmahoy Hill in the distance.

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Morningside Road from Buckstone Snab.

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George Watson's School dominates the foreground.

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Morningside Road from further west on Buckstone Snab.

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Overlooking the golf building towards Woodburn Terrace

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The police box at Braid Hills Approach

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Read all about the SwimEasys, a family who live in this magical box.

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Information about the Police Box Museum

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The little waterfall between the Braid Road entrance and the Hermitage

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The end of April sees the trees coming into leaf.

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A kestrel near Braid Hills Drive

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A kestrel near Braid Hills Drive

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On the way to Blackford Pond from the Grange, crossing the suburban railway. InfraRed photo.

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Blackford Pond, InfraRed photo.

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Allotments at Midmar Drive. IR photo.

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For comparison the next photo is the same but in normal colour.

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Gorse making it a tight squeeze on this path.

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A wider view of the Midmar allotments. IR photo.

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Looking down the steep steps towards Midmar Paddock. IR photo.

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The view up the steps to the radio mast. Note how dark the blue sky is in this IR photo.

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Approaching the herb garden from high up on the north side of the valley.

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The doocot is at the top of the herb garden.

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Another view of the herb garden.

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The little weir near the Hermitage was in full flow after a day of rain.

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Most visitors (myself included) rarely see any water flowing down Howe Dean.

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A closer view of the water flowing down Howe Dean.

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A wider view of Howe Dean.

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The so-called 'Hermitage Golf Course' has been a failure and is returning to nature.

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A few days earlier this golfers' water hazard was virtually empty.

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A sunny day at the end of October on the northern slopes of Blackford Glen

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October fungus

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Where Braid Hills Road and Braid Hills Drive join

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From the pavement at the west end of Braid Hills Drive you can step onto this path. Threre is a glimpse of Craigmillar Castle and Kings Buildings in the distance.

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Some views from the abandoned Hermitage golf course. Blackford Hill behind Blackford Glen.

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Looking east towards Howe Dean

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Facing west

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The next picture shows the gap in the fence from the other side.

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The main path descends to a wooden bridge over the Braid Burn.