Three days may have passed, but the North Berwick weather is as I left, wet and grey. Sandy the seal seems happy enough.
The tide is out, revealing Broad Sands.
Fidra Island lies just out of reach. It’s said that Robert Louis Stevenson, a frequent visitor to the area, based his map of Treasure Island on the shape of Fidra.
As usual, I must explore the cave at Hanging Rocks.
Arriving at Gullane Bay, the weather clears and the beach is bathed in that lovely winter light. What a stunning coastline. I’ve felt this since I crossed the River Tyne at Newcastle, with only Torness Power Station to break the spell, and even that has its beauty.
Hugging the water’s edge requires scrambling over wet rocks — wonderfully shaped and coloured.
The distant sand seems to glow.
Gullane Point is deserted, as dogs are forbidden, to protect the birdlife.
A midget submarine lies exposed in Aberlady Bay and I carefully make my way across the wet sand in search of it. Unfortunately, the water is too deep on the far side and I cut back toward the bridge crossing over Peffer Burn. It would be nice to have the Sinking Sands warning on the approach from Gullane Point, or perhaps I missed it. I rely on my trusty hiking poles for testing the ground.
Although the John Muir Way follows the A198, for the most part, the path runs through lovely woodland.
It’s also possible to walk along a narrow strip of beach.
I may have failed in my oyster survey for the Marine Conservation Society, but I’ll send a photograph of the beach at Seton Sands, which has the largest concentration of native oyster shells of any beach that I’ve crossed since Berwick-upon-Tweed.
The sun sets as I make my way through Cockenzie.
The sky prepares for Burns Night.
Back in Edinburgh, the ecstatic cries from the other night are explained, as a woman leads a customer through the door ahead of me and down the corridor. I bet you don’t get this in a Premier Inn!
Walking through the streets to Sandy Bell’s, several pipers are piping in the haggis. I settle down in the warm bar where a fine duo are playing on guitar and fiddle. The woman on the fiddle plays with such passion that it’s impossible not to be swept happily away.
Walk distance: 18 miles.
Total distance: 3,849 miles.