Bartimaeus

Improved energy and warmer weather has had me out walking more often again. I had done some shorter local walks, but otherwise I had been walking to and from the bus stop or station. I had a walk with a friend and her dog one evening. My cough was gone and I felt much more energetic.

I planned a walk with my sister. I am more familiar with Edinburgh routes than her so I usually lead or decide the route, but I do offer options too. I had thought the melting ice might make the hill wet and slippery so suggested a lower level. The sun was only just showing behind a cloud so we went away from my usual direction for a canal walk as she quite rightly wanted to go towards the light. I was glad we did as we saw some nice sights that way.

The paths join up later and I thought we could do a circular route with the water of Leith, and then the canal, but just as we reached the entry to the woods and Water of Leith path my sister remarked how beautiful the colour of the sky was ahead. It was too, lovely pale blues and hint of greeny blue and much brighter than it had been. Heading into the woods did not seem such a good idea so we walked away from there and towards the bright sky and the hills. The wood could wait for a drizzling or windy day when shelter was welcome. Now the open sky beckoned.  We headed along to the bottom of the hill past the flowering gorse.

We headed up and I knew we could return a faster way. I didn’t usually go this way but I had done it in reverse so it was different but reassuringly well within our timescale and we should be back before dark. As we reached the top, sunset was approaching, but we were walking away from it.

From the top , dropping down we chose wide paths, away from my usual well trodden, but muddier track and then turned towards the sunset and it was gorgeous, a more attractive view past the golf course, high school and barracks, I had never seen.

Being drawn away from the original plan can be beneficial. I had another walk planned the next day, with my niece and had some ideas but knew she would also probably have a plan. We met at the Commonwealth pool, but no swimming for us. We walked away from the pool, heading towards Arthur’s Seat. We often walk round it. As we approached I saw a helicopter. We have seen a helicopter on Arthur’s seat before doing a rescue, but this one didn’t have a person in an orange suit dangling, but a large bag of building materials for the new path further up.

We headed towards it but found the road blocked. We had to turn and walk away and instead I could put one of my alternative plans into action, so we chose to take the lower road to Duddingston and see if Dr Neil’s Garden was open there. At Duddingston there were some attractive plaques and benches near the church and I thought we could go in the very old church.

We walked round the church but couldn’t get in so we walked away and round to the gardens entrance and found that was open. It was warm and the sun was shining on the water and dazzling us. We didn’t expect any flowers at this time of year but we found a couple.

The next day Shane saw the sunshine and wanted a walk. We took a green bus that goes faster away from the city centre and heads along the coast. I thought he had a firm plan but in fact he had not decided where we would get off the bus yet. He swithered about Musselburgh but in stead we continued further away to Prestonpans. The coastal path was slippery, slippier than we liked it, and another walker remarked similarly but it was interesting to see the newish concrete was showing the erosion, common on coastal pools, of hollows made by swirling sand or stones scouring as the waves rub them against rocks, the hollows growing with time. I had thought of these as the result of millennia of tidal erosion but this was obviously the work of a much shorter time.

At the first opportunity to walk away from the slippery path we headed to higher ground, where the waves wash rarely, if at all, making for easier walking. Before leaving Prestonpans we found a new cafe called Coastline and had stupendous scones, with our morning coffee.

We skipped a bit of unattractive or inaccessible path and avoided walking on the fast road by hopping on the bus to Cockenzie. We continued walking away from Edinburgh and towards Port Seton enjoying varied beach, coastal birds, a statue made of coal grinders and a boat sundial. I picked up some scallop shells along the way.

From Port Seton we walked along the coast to Longniddry Bents where there there were toilets and a bus stop, and we hopped on the bus to Gullane, where Shane knew of a cafe, in fact it was called a vintage tearoom and emporium, called Cherish. Shane had been here before and found them out of soup but enjoyed their scones. Today there was a lovely traditional barley vegetable broth and I had mine with oatcakes. This time they had had a run on scones but luckily we were not needing any more scone. It seems, a popular place and we can see why.

From Gullane we carried on walking away from home and away from the coast a liitle to Dirleton. The walk there was out of this world.

From Dirleton we caught the bus to North Berwick, where we had a potter on the coast and through town to the station and got a train back.