I’ve offended someone important, as Storm Jocelyn hits tonight — two storms in one trip? I’m taking a train west to Dalmeny and will walk back into the city. My legs are more reliable than transport networks, which will close tonight.
A disused railway cutting runs from Dalmeny station down to Port Edgar Marina. On the slipway, at the water’s edge, three huge bridges tower above.
Turning back towards Edinburgh, I pass under the magnificent Forth Bridge, which opened in 1890 and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The John Muir Way winds through pretty woodland, although I cut through to the empty beach where possible.
It’s grey and wet, and this was forecast to be the best part of the day.
Dalmeny House, a Tudor Gothic pile built in 1817, is undergoing renovations.
The Old Cramond Brig over the River Almond dates back to the 15th century.
Leaving the John Muir Way, there’s a lovely riverside walk back down to the coast.
A whale hopes for the rain to continue so it may swim free to the sea.
The ruins of Fair-a-Far Mill overlook the powerful weir.
An attractive stone fish ladder hugs the far cliff.
I’d like to explore Cramond Island, but the tide is against me.
Six miles of concrete promenade walking to Leith Docks are pleasant enough, despite the weather.
The Royal Yacht Britannia is permanently based at Leith and I make the mistake of entering a large shopping centre fronting the exhibition, failing to find the way out, spending several minutes travelling up and down lifts and staircases in the multi-storey car park, before having to retrace my steps back through the centre. It was easier to find my way across Greenland.
Street murals are more my thing, so I track down the tiny Quality Yard, where my browsing attracts the attention of a woman leaving one of the rented units.
“Can I help you?”
Translated: “What are you doing shuffling round in our arty courtyard among our expensive parked cars, suspicious looking old person with muddy clothes and shoes?”
The day ends with a nostalgic walk up Leith Walk — now rather gentrified. It’s changed a bit from when I shared a student flat with a mad German geologist — well all geologists tend to be crazy — and a mouse that popped out regularly at the side of the fridge.
Walk distance: 17 miles.
Total distance: 3,831 miles.
Not been to Cramond either!
I may stop off in Edinburgh and visit a couple of islands on future trips as I work my way up the East Coast. I certainly want to see puffins for the first time.
I don’t remember all of that route so perhaps we went a different way. I did out to Crammond Island but it had the largest amount of litter I have ever seen, unfortunately it seems a popular place for young people to go of an evening, drink cans of beer and leave all the empties behind. From what I gather this is because the police can’t really be bothered to go there because of the lack of road access. I hope things have changed for the better.
Yes. I read your blog post and it looked a bit grim in places.