A NEW documentary created by two record-holding cyclists featuring beautiful scenes of East Lothian has been released on YouTube, reaching more than 7,000 people so far.

Explore Your Boundaries, by Mark Beaumont and Markus Stitz, explores the gravel routes of the county, as well as the council boundaries of Clackmannanshire, Falkirk and Glasgow.

Mark Beaumont, the Guinness World Record holder for the fastest circumnavigation by bike, and Markus Stitz, the singlespeed round-the-world cyclist and filmmaker, mapped 24 Scottish council boundary routes to encourage people to stay active, whether cycling or walking, and to inspire adventures that started and finished at their front door.

To create the routes, they uploaded the council boundaries onto mapping platform Komoot and matched them with the closest existing pathways.

The documentary captures their adventures in Clackmannanshire, East Lothian and Falkirk, undertaken from June to September 2021, and Glasgow, undertaken during COP26, the UN Climate Change Conference, in November 2021.

The areas of the county featured are the Lammermuirs, Humbie Hub and the coast from Cockburnspath to Musselburgh: the route can be viewed at komoot.com/tour/581706214

Mark said: “The East Lothian Explore Your Boundaries is not something you could easily take on in a day.

“We opted to tackle East Lothian in two days, and it meant a beautiful overnight stay in Dunbar, a town which I’d never stopped in before and explored, and whilst I’m very familiar with the beaches and parts of the John Muir Way along the coast, I’d never experienced the Lammermuirs.

“Whilst I’d crisscrossed them on the road bike, to head into the surprisingly empty sections of high ground and find the old Herring Road and the old trade routes through East Lothian was fascinating because you can see the history laid bare in the hills around you.”

Filmmaker Markus added: “My favourite part of the East Lothian boundary route is the section that crosses the Lammermuir Hills.

“Although they are so close to Edinburgh, there are very few people up there, and I fondly remember the hills from my round-the-world trip as well.

“After dinner in the chippy in Haddington, I pitched my tent in the Lammermuir Hills on my first night of the round-the-world trip that took me to 26 different countries, and those great memories came back when Mark and I cycled the route in July.”

The idea for the documentary was born in the second lockdown of 2020.

Markus added: “Responsible and sustainable tourism by bike can bring new income streams and visitors to those communities, and I hope the film will inspire more people to visit in 2022 and beyond.”

Explore Your Boundaries is available to watch at youtube.com/watch?v=hwDEAg9s1xo