My hometown is Edinburgh which I love. It offers so much. However, I do like to change it up and when I want to quickly treat myself to Summer vibes, North Berwick is a lovely option. My first stop is always getting a treat on the High Street followed by a walk around the town.
Original St Andrew’s Church
(Ruins, ~1664)
A walk by St Andrew’s church ruins reminds me of its historic past, as I make my way to the Lodge Grounds.
The Lodge
The Lodge has lovely gardens and public paths. As an amateur gardener, I always like to see the botanic offerings of others.
View of North Berwick Law
The Lodge paths always make for a delightful stroll with bonus views of North Berwick Law.
On this trip, I really enjoyed the elevated path just north of the Lodge. It has breathtaking views of the town and bay.
I so enjoy walking along Regent Road when I am going to Calton Hill. The gardens are delightful and I am able to peer through trees to Holyrood Park. You get to see so much more this time of year.
Trees really do provide the “bones of the city” and even the burls are intriguing.
The early Spring blooms were evident on this walk and I was even graced with the presence of a robin. I thought they were shy creatures but not this one!
As I climbed the stairs to the hill, I always look behind me. It is a lovely cityscape.
It was a strange morning as the sky seemed to have a life of its own. I have never lived anywhere else like Scotland where the sky is so dramatic; as it can change the mood of a place within seconds. This morning’s walk was a great example of that. Each photo I took felt like it was taken on different days.
Calton hill never disappoints with its amazing city views. I personally love to walk/climb the hill at sunrise; It is invigorating.
It was a really slow January for me. It did not help that I had a wicked cold that lasted weeks but hey! I’m back and with that, I am attempting to resume my walks in the bonnie capital, Edinburgh. So on this brisk morn, Princes Street gardens were my destination.
On my way to Princes Street gardens, it was uplifting to see bulbs surfacing and early blooms making an appearance. Daffodil season is not that far away. The promise of Spring just feels good.
As always, with many of the trees bare this time of year, there was an excellent view of the surrounding buildings. Even with the absence of foliage, the castle looked grand.
A reflective stroll at the gardens took me to a carpet of snowdrops in early bloom. The scent was invigorating.
What a pleasant walk. Lots of evidence that Spring is not that far away. I can’t wait.
Up early on a November Saturday morning with a friend to explore Dunbar. That’s right Dunbar. I had not appreciated the drive from Edinburgh before. It was so picturesque even for a November morning. Enroute, we saw Tantallon Castle in the distance and decided to stop 😆 We were living large 😆
We were really lucky; we were the first visitors of the day and had the grounds to ourselves. Perfect.
Tantallon Castle
The castle was more impressive than I had imagined it. It was in a commanding position. The waves added to the drama of the location. It was stunning with its raw simplicity.
The Castle dates back to the 1300s. The outer wall was surrounded by an expansive area of grass; a service area where supplies were brought into the castle. Under the morning light and with the sound of the waves, it felt like s a place for quiet contemplation. Although there were several storyboards sharing the history of the castle, I did a quick search to learn more. I found an excellent write-up on the undiscovered Scotland site.
Due to all the rain, we have had, entrance into the castle structure was not allowed. As a result, we had to admire it from a distance. On this morning, the waves were high and the force as they hit the banks was quite extraordinary. It is a wonder how any of the castle structures were still standing.
It was so good to breathe the morning air.
The view of Bass rock was a wonderful sight. I wished I could have done a better job in capturing what I was seeing but hopefully I have captured its essence. It was a great start to the day.
Bass Rock
Drifter Coffee House
After our stroll around the castle, my friend suggested breakfast at the Drift Coffeehouse. What a great suggestion that was! Great service, good food and panoramic views in a unique setting.
Dunbar Harbour
We finally made it to Dunbar and the first stop was the harbour.
The wind made its presence known. There was no doubt what time of year it was. November! At the same time, we were on the coast so it was to be expected. We were well-wrapped. We chose a small alley to get to the water.
When we arrived I was surprised by what I saw. It was so quiet and so few boats. It is usually a hive of activity but not on this day. I had not seen the harbour so inactive before. It had a very different feel.
Boats and people were few but the waves were plentiful! We had a quick look at the memorial and took in the view of what was left of Dunbar castle, then made our way to the beach.
John Muir Country Park & and Dunbar beach
I had a “thing” about seeing Dunbar beach mainly because I have not been there before and secondly a friend told me that sometimes they train horses at that location. I have had an itch to go there ever since. We drove to the John Muir Country Park as the locals advised that it was a nice walk and had good access to the beach.
We were taken by the open landscape and the share size of the beach. The tide was low which added to the sense of scale.
Of course, we had to see Belhaven Bridge, sometimes called “The Bridge To Nowhere”. As the tide was low, it did not have the same impact or effect but it was good to see nonetheless.
We both agreed we need to return in the Spring or Summer. After all, it would be nice to see horses 😆
Our next destination was Calanais Standing stones on the Isle of Lewis. I was very curious about these stones. They dated back thousands of years with very little knowledge about the reason for their exitance.
Map of Lewis
We continued our journey along the coast of Lewis. As if by request, our surroundings were moody, enchanting and mysterious. It was fitting for the location we were going to.
Then suddenly we saw them.
Calanais Standing stones.
The Calanais Standing Stones are an extraordinary cross-shaped setting of stones erected 5,000 years ago. They predate England’s famous Stonehenge monument, and were an important place for ritual activity for at least 2,000 years. We don’t know why the standing stones at Calanais were erected, but our best guess is that it was a kind of astronomical observatory
How majestic they looked. This Neolithic Monument really made me wonder about its potential meaning. I am sure the same holds true for all those who visit.
Another grey day on the Isle of Lewis but that was to be expected. It was October after all. We were making our way to the infamous Blackhouse village.
The Gearranan Blackhouse Village is a coastal crofting village located in a secluded bay within the district of Carloway, on the west coast of the Isle of Lewis.
Isle of Lewis with the location of Blackhouse Village
Today the village is designated for a variety of self-catering vacation cottages.
The local community trust Urras nan Gearrannan Hu (the Garenin Trust) has carefully restored these once derelict properties to recreate an authentic blackhouse village. It feels like stepping back in time but with the local resident sheep on guard 😆
Traditional methods have been used to recreate the drystone masonry and thatched roofing of the original croft cottages.
