Wanders around Stirling

It’s not often that I am lured outside London to see a play, but I made an exception for James IV: Queen of the Fight by Rona Munro having absolutely loved the trilogy of James plays when they graced the National Theatre in 2014. In a recent interview Rona Munro explained the hope was to write seven plays covering the years of Stewart rule in Scotland. I have just seen one of these, Mary, at the Hampstead Theatre. How could I not see this one too!?

I settled on a weekend in Stirling, a city I had long intended to revisit, catching the play at the Macrobert Arts Centre at the University of Stirling then stayed overnight at the Stirling Court Hotel in the university grounds. The play was as thrilling as I hoped, plunging us back into the intrigue of the 16th century royal court to explore an unsettling early story of racism. Two and a half hours flew by.

Cambuskenneth Abbey

The last time I was in Stirling I made the mistake of allowing no time to see anything but the castle, but then realised how much more I was missing out on. It was a pleasure to return to explore this city properly.

Over the course of the weekend I visited the National Wallace Monument and learnt about the battle of Stirling Bridge; took in a pleasant walk past the battle site via the ruins of Cambuskenneth Abbey and old Stirling Bridge; climbed up Gowan Hill to follow the heritage trail; explored Drummond Pleasure Ground and the neighbouring cemeteries; and had a good look around the wonderful Stirling Smith Art Gallery & Museum.

There’s so much of interest in Stirling. It’s one of those places where history oozes out of every street corner. I particularly enjoyed the Gowan Heritage trail which leads you up to a caged beheading stone on Mote Hill, apparently used in executions up to the 15th century. The hill was known as the heiding hill (heading hill) on account of its gruesome place in history, but fell out of use when hanging in the town centre became the preferred method of execution. Leaving that rather brutal history behind, the views are absolutely stunning.

The view from Gowan Hill

The Stirling Smith Art Gallery & Museum is really well worth a visit with some superb artworks, including a rather striking red and silver striped tiger by the Mach brothers whose glorious coat is made up of Tunnock’s teacake wrappers. As an addict of Tunnock’s tea cakes I can only imagine the hardship of eating so many in the name of art! There’s a really superb walk through of history in the museum at the back of the gallery – which includes the world’s oldest football (discovered behind wooden panels in the Queen’s Bedchamber at Stirling castle in the 1970s).

The museum also has a fascinating set of stone panels that were mysteriously added to the low cost housing in Albany Crescent in 1896 (subsequently demolished in 1965). The current thinking is that one of these is a cryptic reference to the beheading of the second Duke of Albany, regent of Scotland, on Mote Hill, in 1425. The architect behind the panels, John Allan, was also responsible for designing the protective cage for the stone.

A wander round the pleasure grounds and cemetery in the shadow of Stirling Castle was as enjoyable as ever. There are some real curiosities there, like the star pyramid (dedicated to all those martyred in the cause of civil and religious liberty in Scotland) and the martyrs monument (a glass enclosed memorial to Margaret Wilson who was executed by drowning at the age of 18 for refusing to renounce her Protestant faith).

In short, I had a fabulous weekend and still didn’t have enough time to see everything. Nevertheless, I was glad I finally made it back – even if it was ten years late.

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Return to North Berwick

Midway through my Sunday walk towards Prestongrange I got a phone call to say that my early morning trip to Bass Rock was off due to the dangerous high swell around the rock. I wasn’t entirely surprised, having been here before. The Bass Rock has a swell all of its own that is quite tricky at the best of times.

A landing on the Bass Rock continues to prove elusive, but a regular sightseeing trip around the rock was as enjoyable as ever. Who could tire of the spectacle of sea bird city!?

Bass Rock

I made the most of the remaining time in North Berwick to reacquaint myself with the sweet treats at Bostocks Bakery, sampled some more award winning ice cream at Alandas and check out the hares that had been installed since my last visit (part of ‘The Big Hare Trail‘ in support of Leuchie House). It was good to be back. There is something wonderfully calming about the landscapes here and the sunrises/sunsets were as wonderful as ever.

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Portobello to Prestonpans

Today I headed east from my overnight stop at Portobello, a coastal suburb of Edinburgh, to the fishing town of Prestonpans. With the twists and turns of my route it worked out roughly at an 8 mile walk, taking in the sights of Musselburgh and Prestongrange along the way. I rarely deviated from my route, so I can be sure that there will be plenty I have missed, but it was a wonderfully refreshing walk with a few surprises along the way.

The starting point for my walk, Portobello, is one of the many seaside resorts around the country that became incredibly popular in the late 19th century and then gradually faded through the 20th century. Originally a town in its own right, it was officially absorbed into Edinburgh in 1895. A walk around the town reveals no shortage of grand buildings, such as the octagonal castellated tower (1785) in Figgate Lane, the Scottish baronial styled Police station (1877) and the Portobello Public Baths (1901).

One of the three Coade pillars at Portobello

My eye was particularly drawn to three pillars that were rescued from the garden of Argyle House in 1989 and re-erected in Portobello Community Garden in 2006 after a campaign by the Portobello Amenity Society. The pillars are not carved but instead made of press-moulded blocks of Coade Stone. The origins of the pillars are something of a mystery, but the two smaller pillars are identical to those on the chimneys of Dalmeny House.

Onward along the coast, through Joppa, and on to Musselburgh, which the signs proclaim as ‘The Honest Toun’ on account of the townsfolk’s care for Thomas Randolph, 1st Earl of Moray and regent for David II of Scotland, as he lay dying in a safe-house in 1332. The townsfolk wanted no recompense for their efforts, leading to his nephew, Domhnall II, the new regent to proclaim the town as honest. Sadly, Domhnall only outlived his uncle by 22 days – meeting his end at the Battle of Dupplin Moor.

The most striking sight on walking into the town was ‘The Mussel’, a 12 foot tall stainless steel sculpture of a mussel shell, installed in 2018. A little further on I reached Fisherrow Harbour, mainly filled with leisure boats from what I could see as I passed by. The super display boards installed by the Fisherrow Waterfront Group explain that this was once a bustling sea port, playing a vital role in the export of the goods produced locally (coal, clay, bricks, salt, animal hides and oats) and with a thriving fishing community.

I loved the clever sculptures of fishermen installed by the Fisherrow Waterfront Group that double as traffic bollards, though they do look a little like Davros sitting in his mobile life-support system!

Anyway, on I went – along the waterfront, round the outside of the Loretto School playing fields (noting the WW2 air raid shelter constructed next to the clubhouse), across the River Esk and past the home of 297 Musselburgh Squadron, RAF Air Cadets.

The concrete arrow restored by 297 Musselburgh Squadron, RAF Air Cadets

I was fascinated to see the concrete arrow that the cadets of 297 Squadron have renovated in recognition of its original purpose of training bomber crews to line their aircraft up with a target in the Firth of Forth. It’s one of only a small number of concrete arrows still surviving around the UK (other examples can be found at Portrush, Northern Ireland; Maypole, Isles of Scilly and Putsborough, Devon).

As I continued, I had some terrific view of the bird-filled Fisherrow Sands before continuing on towards Morrison’s Haven, just a little beyond the Musselburgh Ash Lagoons. The next stop, at the open air museum at Prestongrange was undoubtedly the highlight of my day.

Prestongrange was at the heart of Scotland’s industrial revolution. Coal had been mined here for hundreds of years but as the revolution accelerated an integrated industrial complex grew up, quite unlike anything that had been seen before in Scotland.

It’s hard to grasp the scale of the operations here as nature has reclaimed much of the surroundings, but at its peak 1,000 men worked on the site and an extensive railway system connected the complex with the east coast main line and the nearby harbour. The Hoffman continuous Kiln on the site was capable of producing 30,000 bricks in a single firing. The tranquil ruins of today couldn’t be farther from the noisy, smelly and dirty site at its peak.

Today, you can wander round and see a pithead winding engine; a beam engine (built in Plymouth in 1853 and used until 1954); the outlines of a dozen beehive kilns; the Hoffman continuous Kiln (built in 1937) and chimney (built 1910); one of the headframes from the colliery; a ventilation fan and shaft sinking engine; an assortment of railway wagons; and a rail mounted steam crane. The visitor centre on the site really helps to bring the story together.

The Cornish beam engine at Prestongrange

Although I had intended to continue along the coast a bit further, I hadn’t counted on a half-marathon taking place on the same roads. To get around the route, I took a back road up to Preston Tower, Hamilton House and the mining memorial ‘The Shrine’ before ending my walk at an old coal bing shaped into a pyramid in the 1960s to create a viewpoint over the Prestonpans battlefield.

I thought I had done my homework before setting off, but regret not getting to see the murals of Prestonpans or the museum dedicated to Scotland’s first railway, the 1722 Tranent – Cockenzie Waggonway. I’ll have to remedy that the next time I am in the area!

If you are thinking of walking this stretch of coast then it’s worth checking out the super series of leaflets from East Lothian Council. If you are just walking with a map, there are plenty of terrific information panels along this route that really helped to bring this walk to life.

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Scotland in September

A long weekend in Scotland centred around a second attempt at a landing on the Bass Rock provided a chance to explore a few places that I have never visited before, including Dumbarton, Helensburgh and Aberdour.

Dumbarton Castle

The strategic position of Dumbarton Castle, atop a volcanic plug overlooking the Clyde, has long been recognised by the forces battling for control of Scotland. The rock has a longer history as a stronghold than anywhere else in the country, fought over from the dark ages to the english civil war. Today’s castle is mostly the result of an 18th century re-fortification programme and little remains of the many previous fortresses on the site.

Dumbarton Castle

The complex history of the rock includes spells under the control of the Britons, Vikings, Scots and the English. Mary Queen of Scots spent six months at the castle as a child, before escaping for the safety of France. William Wallace was imprisoned here before he was taken to London for execution. In its final evolution it became a state prison, holding important prisoners such as General Édouard-François Simon during the Napoleonic Wars, before eventually becoming a tourist attraction in the nineteenth century.

A couple of areas are currently closed off (the path to the Spur, Spanish and Bower batteries, plus an area around the Crane Bastion where works are taking place). Numbers are limited to make a visit Covid-19 safe, though a one-way system around the powder magazine using transparent screens did look like one of the most absurd responses to the pandemic that I have seen anywhere.

Overall, it’s possible to visit most of the castle and enjoy the spectacular views it offers. There is not masses to see, nor buildings to enter, but it’s worth the climb and the exercise is no bad thing after months sitting at home!

The French Prison

A train from Glasgow to Dumbarton East takes around half an hour and from the station it’s a 15 minute walk to the rock, past the grounds of Dumbarton FC (known as the sons of the rock) and opposite the pristine grounds of Dumbarton Rock Bowling Club. There’s a terrific view of the castle and across the Clyde from a small park outside the walls.

The Hill House

A train from Dumbarton East to Helensburgh Central takes just over 15 minutes. Helensburgh is a charming holiday town with plenty of interesting buildings and attractions, including the Scottish Submarine Centre (home to HMS Stickleback, an X-class submarine built for a Cold War mission that was cancelled); the Scottish baronial styled Victoria Hall and the historic Hermitage Park.

Take a walk up the hill to Upper Helensburgh and you soon find yourself surrounded by attractive villas in an astonishing variety of styles, set in spacious green plots with many equally stunning gatehouses and grand entrances. Among this cornucopia of architectural splendour sits The Hill House, the utterly unique home created by Charles Rennie Mackintosh for the publisher Walter Blackie.

The Hill House and the Box

It is fascinating to read about the way the family came to choose Mackintosh as the architect for them and the ten year involvement he would have in the project from the initial commission to the design of the last additional piece for the house. It’s hard not to be blown away by the extraordinary interior, starting with the Lower Hall and its combination of dark pine illuminated by a multitude of light sources.

One of the displays inside the house reveals that the Blackie children would come and go between garden and house through the drawing room windows and that muddy boots on the Mackintosh carpets were never a problem! Today, it feels like an artwork and is rightly regarded as a national treasure, so it’s really hard to imagine this as a family home but that is clearly what it was. The home was carefully designed around their needs with exquisitely designed furniture and fittings but they were not so in awe of it that they couldn’t change something to make it more practical for everyday living.

Mackintosh’s experiments saw him use cement roughcast for the exterior which looks great but unfortunately when this cracks, it lets the water in. The result is that Hill House is a stunning, but fragile, masterpiece that has suffered from years of water ingress – damaging walls and interiors. The innovative solution to all of this is ‘The Box’, a protective cover that sits over the building, allowing it to dry out while a long term fix is identified. One added benefit of this approach was the ability to add a series of high level walkways around and over the top of the house, providing some unusual views of the house.

View from the walkways

I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to The Hill House and the guide book is quite superb at exploring the extraordinary story in much more detail. There’s so much to take in that I can quite believe the visitor behind me who commented that they see something different every time they visit.

Aberdour Castle

Switching back to the eastern coast, the final stop of my trip was Aberdour Castle, another easily reached historic site just 30 minutes by train from Edinburgh (plus a three minute walk from the station to the castle entrance).

The castle had a rich 900 year history under the ownership of the Mortimers and the Douglases, but suffered greatly from a fire in the 1680s. The subsequent repairs restored the East range but from this point on the castle remained partly ruined. A further fire in 1715 sealed the fate of the castle as a family home. The Douglases moved out and in their place the surviving buildings saw a variety of alternative uses, including as a barracks and as a masonic lodge.

Aberdour Castle

Today, you can wander the ruins, enjoy the terraced gardens out back, check out the gigantic dovecot (with roosts for 600 pigeons) and admire the faded painted ceiling of the East Range. All of this only hints at the grandeur that must have existed in the 17th century when this was the home of William Douglas, 8th Earl of Morton, who was Lord High Treasurer of Scotland and close to King James the Sixth.

Next door is the twelfth century church of St Fillan, one of the oldest survivors in Scotland, while a couple of lovely beaches are a short walk away. I can certainly recommend the Aberdour Bakery Company on the High Street, whose sweet treats (especially their cheesecakes) are simply stunning.

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Back to the bedroom-office!

Our summer trip fizzled out today, our 13th day in Scotland. We scratched our heads over a forecast of heavy rain all day in Edinburgh and the Borders, plus a warning from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) about the risk of flash flooding and potential disruption to transport networks. The threat was brought home to us by the images of people wading along Princes Street and the flooded tracks at Haymarket just a day or so back.

Not feeling like we could risk getting stranded in the Borders on the day we travel home, we played it safe and switched to some rather aimless wandering round Edinburgh – only to see barely a drop of rain fall all day. Grrr! It was a somewhat frustrating way to end the trip, but think we were quite lucky overall in what seems to be a summer of unpredictable and unexpected weather.

Sunset at North Berwick

It’s going to be hard swapping the beautiful landscapes of Scotland for the four walls of my bedroom-office, but hopefully we have some more normal times coming our way soon and with any luck we’ll get away for some shorter breaks around the British Isles as the year gets on. At this stage I am not expecting to venture overseas for the first time in over 20 years, but if this trip is anything to go by – it will be great!

Edinburgh and beyond

Our time in Scotland is fast drawing to a close. I’ve covered most of the trip, but not talked about what we’ve managed to do whilst staying in the Scottish capital. I’ve been to Edinburgh a fair bit, so I have seen most of the major sights many times times over, but there is always something fresh (like the super new AV device allowing visitors to see Holyroodhouse Palace in a completely different way).

The Galloway Hoard

One highlight was the free exhibition about the Galloway Hoard at the National Museum of Scotland (on until 12th September 2021). The exhibition did a super job of walking you through the unique nature of the hoard and surprising discoveries it contained, explaining how this was forcing a rethink of the Viking world. Nothing short of spellbinding from start to finish.

During our stay we made a few day trips that are worth mentioning. First up, we made the trip out to Rosslyn chapel, an extraordinary building constructed between 1446 and 1484, which takes around 45-60 minutes to reach on the number 37 bus from central Edinburgh.

The Rosslyn Chapel features remarkably ornate interior decoration including around one hundred green men and an exquisitely carved column (the apprentice pillar) around which an unlikely tale of a master murdering his apprentice has grown up over the centuries. As extraordinary as this building is, it was only a small part of the original plan to build a much larger church. The mind boggles at the thought of what that might have looked like!

Another bus ride from the city centre (30 minutes on the X27) brought us to Jupiter Artland, a wonderful sculpture park which includes works by Anish Kapoor and Antony Gormley among others. The green Cells of Life by landscape architect Charles Jencks create quite an impact as you enter but there are plenty of smaller treats, of which the small frog fountain was a delight. We spent a good three hours wandering around the exhibits.

The Kelpies

Finally, we took a train out to Falkirk and tackled a circular walk that took us to the Kelpies, Helix Park, Callendar House, along the Union Canal and on to the Falkirk Wheel. The 30-metre-high horse-head sculptures, the Kelpies, by Andy Scott are extraordinary. Pictures really don’t do them justice. It’s worth saying that the Helix Park the Kelpies are set in is absolutely gorgeous too.

It would be easy to overlook Callendar House with the much publicised newer sights in Falkirk, but this mansion (a fusion of a French Renaissance château with Scottish baronial architecture) is worth taking the time over. Inside, there is an excellent exhibition taking you through the history of the house and the surrounding area, along with some surprising facts including Irn-Bru’s true origins in Falkirk.

I was glad to finally see the Falkirk Wheel, ten years after reading about it at a museum in Arques, though there’s not a lot more to it once you’ve seen one revolution. The complex looks a terrific place for families with fun activities like a Falkirk themed mini golf course. My feet were absolutely trashed by this point (the effects of far too little walking under lockdown) so I regret to say we never made it to the remains of the nearby Roman fort.

The Falkirk Wheel

One recommendation on the food front would be Taisteal who served up a superb 7 course tasting menu featuring duck, octopus and lobster with a fun set of matching drinks ranging from a rice beer to a margarita. My better half reckoned that it was one of the best tasting menus we have tasted anywhere. It was also fun to try the themed tasting menu at Six by Nico and sample an Irn-Bru milkshake at Byron too (only available at Scottish restaurants).

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Inchcolm in the rain

Our plan for today was to take a trip on the Maid of the Forth out to Inchcolm Island (roughly 40 minutes from South Queensferry) to see Inchcolm Abbey, often described as the ‘Iona of the east’, and then on a circuit around the Forth bridges. It sounded like a good idea when we booked it many months back, but the signs were not promising as we set off this morning under threatening skies.

Yesterday, we watched as Edinburgh was drenched in half of its average rainfall for the month in just under 30 minutes. The result was dramatic – flash flooding across the city and the suspension of the few rail services still running. As we headed to bed last night the view from our hotel room across to the Calton Hill disappeared in thick fog. The forecast for today was more of the same. Oh dear!

Inchcolm Abbey in the gloom

The skies were indeed pretty grey as we headed down the steps from Dalmeny station to South Queensferry, but the taps in the heavens had not yet opened. Maybe there was a chance!? It was dry, if incredibly gloomy, as we set off from Hawes Pier, passing the heavily fortified Inchgarvie island and the mysterious gnomes of Swallow Craig (now nicknamed ‘Inchgnome’) en route to Inchcolm.

The view of the abbey as you approach the island is stunning and it just gets better as you make your way up the jetty and onto the island. Our eagerness to explore was quelled by the heavy rain that arrived after 45 minutes, but that was still enough time to walk around the abbey and see pretty much everything. Only the bell tower was out of bounds, with its tight spaces not fitting the Covid-19 brief.

A priory was established here by David I in 1124, honouring the wishes of his dead brother Alexander I, who had sheltered on the island for three days after being caught in a storm. In time the priory became an abbey, growing in importance and wealth until the Protestant Reformation closed this chapter in the 1560s. In later life the island and its buildings saw use as a quarantine station for arriving ships and as a hospital during the Napoleonic wars.

Tunnel from WW1

In the twentieth century the island saw renewed use in the defences of the Forth estuary and Rosyth dockyard. The island has gun emplacements and structures from both World Wars, so it is worth checking out the helpful board on Inchcolm at War that helps you work out what you are looking at. One striking feature is a brick tunnel from the First World War that gave the troops covered access from their barracks to the guns.

The island is quite compact, so it was surprise to learn that a garrison of 500 men was stationed in the abbey during the Second World War, breathing life into the refectory and the warming house as sleeping quarters. The garrison manned the guns on the island 24 hours a day. Many of the wartime additions were demolished in the 1960s but plenty of interest remains.

We might have made more effort to explore the concrete and brick remains had it not been for the arrival of rain, plus the deterrent of the gulls that seemed to be on guard as we emerged from the end of the tunnel. The guides had made mention of this in the briefing, recommending that we assess the situation before stepping out at the other end of the tunnel. It didn’t seem worth the effort in the conditions, so we headed back and sought shelter.

As it turned out, the journey back to South Queensferry gave us a good view of the defensive additions to the island as we looped around the island and then on to the three Forth Bridges. It was an enjoyable outing even if the conditions made it a little tricky at times. I suppose I wasn’t entirely surprised as many of the photos I have seen of the island have clearly been taken in moody conditions!

Practicalities

Two boat companies run trips out to the island from South Queensferry – Forth Boat Tours and Maid of the Forth. Some packages include connecting buses from the centre, but we opted to make our own way to South Queensferry – taking the train to Dalmeny and walking the rest of the way (approximately 10 minutes by path/steps alongside the railway). Boats are currently running at a reduced capacity to help with social distancing.

On arrival on Inchcolm one of the rangers provided us with a briefing and then we were free to wander. You get around 90 minutes on the island, which is more than enough to take a good look round. We picked up an inexpensive guidebook to the island before setting out (there is usually a shop on the island, but this is currently closed under the current Covid-19 restrictions) but there are plenty of information boards dotted around.

Signs around the island warn you not to approach gulls, particularly during breeding season (March to July) as they may attack you. Having come across some particularly aggressive gulls on the Isle of May we had no inclination to put this to the test. However, this isn’t really a problem around the abbey – it’s more of a factor if you walk out to some of the farther flung WW1/WW2 defences.

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Two days in Dundee

Our plans saw us swap the natural wonders of North Berwick for a bit of city life with a trip north to Dundee for a couple of days. I’m not entirely sure what I was expecting, but found myself astonished at the striking buildings across the city, culminating in our arrival at the McManus Art Gallery and Museum (1867). It’s a great place to understand the story of the city and its many surprising claims to fame.

The McManus (originally named the Albert Institute) was created by Sir George Gilbert Scott, probably best known for his work at St Pancras Station and the Albert Memorial. The exterior has a real wow factor, as does the vaulted entrance space and the Albert Hall, on the first floor. The design shows the influences of the Cloth Hall in Ypres and French renaissance châteaux. In a neat touch, one of the angels on the west spire carries a model of the building.

The McManus Art Gallery and Museum

It was not hard to see that quite a bit of money had been splashed across the city in its industrial heyday, with a surplus of grand buildings now adapted for more mundane use. Nowhere is this more obvious than with the neo-classical building topped with a statue of Britannia… which is now an Optical Express… or the victorian gothic marvel topped with a tower… which is now a Brewdog pub.

There is an architectural trail that highlights a small selection of the many remarkable buildings across the city. However, beyond these landmark buildings there is an equally fascinating story of industrial architecture driven by the city’s expanding Jute industry. This saw an incredible number of mills constructed across the city, many of which still exist today. We visited one survivor – Verdant Mills – which really helped put this historical jigsaw together.

Besides the McManus Art Gallery and Museum, the other highlights of our stay in Dundee included:

RRS Discovery

I last saw the RRS Discovery, the steamship built for the British Antarctic research expedition of 1901–1904, on a class outing to St Katharine Docks in 1982/83. I have no absolutely no memory of whether we were able to go board, but I am quite sure that it was no match for the brilliant experience on offer today. The Discovery was re-located to Dundee, where it was built, in 1986.

On board the Discovery

The construction of large wooden ships had largely stopped at the time the Discovery was built, but the conditions of the Antarctic and the survey work they were undertaking made that preferable to a ship built of iron and steel. The Dundee Shipbuilders Company was one of a handful of places that could take on this work. Today, you tour a smashing exhibition about the ship and the expedition before going on board to get a better appreciation of the more unusual aspects of its construction up close, such as the extraordinary hull built to withstand crushing by the ice.

To sum it up, at first glance I saw an old wooden ship, but came away with a better understanding that I was actually looking at a cutting edge vessel using all the latest technology of the time. The ship is obviously a big draw, but there are also some fascinating exhibits on display, such as Scott’s wooden snow goggles. I was far more impressed than I expected to be by the whole visit.

HMS Unicorn

After underestimating the Discovery you might have thought I would know better, but HMS Unicorn (1824) provided another ship visit that I found far more interesting than I expected.

HMS Unicorn

HMS Unicorn cuts an odd sight in the Victoria Docks with no masts and an odd roof covering the entire ship. I assumed this was some kind of preservation method but it turns out that this was a new ship that went straight into the reserve (or ‘in ordinary’), that left the ship intentionally unrigged and required her hull to be covered by a protective roof. If war flared up in Europe she could quickly be readied to serve, but that call never came. This was far from unusual – in 1838, some 80 of the 106 frigates in the Royal Navy were ‘in ordinary’. For a ship that never saw active service there is a surprising amount of history to discover on board.

V&A Dundee
The V&A experience was a curious one – a massive building but a relatively small permanent display of Scottish design. There were some fantastic exhibits, such as the Oak Room, a restored interior designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh for Mrs Cranston’s Ingram Street Tearooms in Glasgow (1907-8); a spectacular diamond-winged Valkyrie tiara commissioned by the Duchess of Roxburghe (1935); and the maquettes for door panels at the Hunterian Gallery by Paolozzi (1976-7).

It’s worth seeking out Jannetta’s Gelateria on the waterfront not too far away with super flavours like Pineapple cheesecake; Pecan, maple and ginger; and Scottish tablet.

The Bach

There was only one choice that we could make for eating out – The Bach. Although our stay was relatively short we managed to squeeze in breakfast and lunch at this fantastic Kiwi-style cafe/restaurant. I was really surprised to see just how spacious it was inside with tables set over three levels, including a balcony seating area looking across the whole place. Everyone was really friendly and the place just had a terrific vibe about it.

The Bach, Dundee

The menu was filled with Kiwi treats like mince on toast; french toast with bacon, banana and maple syrup; and kiwi burgers. These delighted my better half, but not as much as seeing the display case filled with NZ treats like Afghan biscuits and Ginger crunch – or the mini-shop with chocolate bars from home (someone was clearly missing their cherry ripe bars from the little stash added to our bill!).

On top of that the tasty options on the menu there were a selection of kiwi craft beers, brews and soft drinks, but it was the milkshakes that caught the eye with their recreation of classic NZ confectionery. My better half confirmed that the Pineapple Lump milkshake really did taste like the much loved NZ chocolates.

Dundee Law

The weather forecast was really jumping around, with what seemed like a nailed on sunset now looking rather unlikely. Figuring that I would never know unless I made the walk I followed the handy Town to Top map published on the Dundee Law website. The view across Dundee is incredible and it was great to see the War Memorial close up. I got really lucky with the city illuminated by a burst of sun against a dark sky – lovely.

Verdant Works

I had my doubts about how interesting I would find a textile mill from the 1830s but soon found myself drawn into the story of the rise and fall of the Jute industry. It was fascinating to see the array of machinery that has been gathered here and to learn what part each played in the manufacturing process. It is astonishing to see how many mills existed at the peak of the industry, of which around half survive today – many converted for new purposes.

The Jute Barons amassed huge fortunes, some of which was used on the most impressive buildings in the city including Caird Hall (currently in use as a vaccination centre), the Tay Bridge and the McManus Art Gallery and Museum which brings us neatly back to where we started this blog post.

The view from Dundee Law

To sum up, we had a great time in Dundee. Our plans were not too disrupted by Covid-19 restrictions, though we did have to drop plans to visit the museum at Broughty Ferry Castle as this has not re-opened yet. We had hoped to stay a little longer in the city but the ongoing Sunday strikes on ScotRail services put paid to that. Hopefully, we’ll be back someday to see Broughty Ferry, Glamis Castle and get another sample of the delights on offer at The Bach.

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Day trip to Dunbar

A cancelled boat trip left us with a hole in our schedule. After some deliberation we opted for a day trip to Dunbar c/o the 120 bus. It seemed slightly counter-intuitive to stay on the bus as it passed through the centre of town and get off at the ASDA on the outskirts, but there was method in our madness. In prime position at the centre of a 54.3 acre plot (currently fields, but earmarked for mixed-use low carbon development) next door is the DunBear.

The DunBear

The DunBear is a marvelous sculpture made up of steel plates by Andy Scott, who also created the magnificent Kelpies in Falkirk. It was unveiled in November 2019 as a tribute to Dunbar-born naturalist John Muir (1838-1914) who played a key role in the establishment of National Parks in the US and across the world.

Having paid homage to the bear we walked back towards town, past the parish church and down to the harbour where you can cross an old lifting bridge to visit Dunbar Battery (1781, restored 2017) and admire the picturesque ruins of Dunbar Castle. I was rather surprised to learn that there are no known images of Dunbar castle intact, but plenty of illustrations showing its romantic ruins.

Dunbar castle has seen plenty of action, having been attacked many times through its long history, and it was here that Mary Queen of Scots came to seek sanctuary after the murder of Rizzio in 1566. The Scottish Parliament ordered its destruction in 1567 and a channel was blasted through the castle in 1844 to create an entrance to the new Victoria Harbour. It must make for one of the most dramatic harbour approaches anywhere.

It can be a little hard to get a complete sense of the structure of the castle from the various viewpoints, but some drone footage commissioned by Dunbar Harbour Trust to show the current condition of the castle walls gives a much better perspective. The castle ruins are closed to the public because of the dangers of structural decay and risk of collapse. Seeing it up close, I can completely understand why!

Dunbar Castle

Amidst the walls of the Dunbar Castle ruins today you can see hundreds of kittiwakes nesting, with plenty of young chicks emerging. One of the many display boards around the harbour noted the old superstition that kittiwakes should reach Dunbar by the 16th of March for a ‘happy and prosperous summer’. I gather they just made it with a few days to spare this year. The volcanic rocks around the harbour also seemed well populated by shags.

The Dunbar Harbour Trust have done a terrific job explaining what you can see with plenty of display boards dotted around. Among other sights we saw the Fisherman’s monument (1856); a monument to the inventor of the screw propeller; a striking row of Fishermen’s cottages designed by Basil Spence (perhaps best known for the Beehive in New Zealand); and a sculpture called ‘The Creel Loaders’ depicting women carrying herring for sale in wicker creels.

Among the many stories revealed through the boards, I liked the potted history of Black Agnes best. Agnes Randolph was left in charge of Dunbar castle while her husband was away at war. English forces arrived in 1338 expecting an easy surrender, but Lady Agnes held out for six months. After one round of battering Lady Agnes and her maids taunted the besieging forces by dusting down the battlements. When the English tried to starve her out she had fresh bread catapaulted into the English camp to show them why this would not work. The siege was abandoned.

Fishermen’s cottages designed by Basil Spence

After leaving the harbour behind us we took a wander up to the High Street, admiring the grand Lauderdale House, youthful statue of John Muir and the impressive exterior of the 16th century building housing the Dunbar Town House Museum and Gallery. The museum required pre-booking of visits during our stay, due to covid restrictions, which didn’t really fit with the spontaneous nature of our visit but sounded well worth a look-in under normal circumstances. Instead, we consoled ourselves with some seriously good cake at Graze Coffee & Chocolate House.

If we had been staying in the town I would have liked to visit a much photographed spot at Belhaven Bay known as the Bridge to Nowhere. It’s purpose is clear at low tide, providing a route over a river, but at high tide it looks like the most pointless bridge ever!

I was surprised by how good a day out we had in Dunbar, even without going inside the museums. I would certainly recommend spending some time here if you are in the area.

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Marvels of the Isle of May

I thought that nothing could surpass the wonders of the Bass Rock, but today we set off from North Berwick on a boat trip to the Isle of May and I discovered just how wrong I could be. I have seen few places as beautiful as the Isle of May where 90,000 puffins breed each year, perfectly described by the reserve manager as “the feeling of being inside a puffin snow globe”.

Puffins galore

The Isle of May is an island nature reserve located in the outer Firth of Forth, just 5 miles off the Scottish coast, and sees an incredible mix of seabirds between spring and autumn including arctic terns, shags, guillemots, razorbills, kittiwakes, fulmars, gulls and puffins. However, it was the seals that were the first to greet us as we glided in to Kirkhaven Harbour – some ducking underwater as we approached while others looked very chilled out on the rocks.

Upon landing we gathered on the jetty and our guide gave us a quick introduction to the arctic terns. The terns nest on the ground between the harbour and the visitor centre, which is a bit of a problem when the crucial junction between the two main walking routes around the island sits slap bang in the centre. Anyone walking along this path is a target as the terns aggressively try to repel the threat they see to their chicks.

Our guide recommended that we put any hats on and put a hand above our head with wiggling fingers to make a moving target that would be harder for the terns, while keeping an eye out for any of their crazy chicks that might have strayed on to the path! It’s particularly important not to wave your hands to swat the terns away as that would risk injuring the birds.

It was a little unnerving running the gauntlet of the noisy swooping terns but once through we could relax and begin to appreciate the incredible beauty of the island. It’s absolutely stunning and that’s before you even get to the thousands of puffins that are everywhere you look at this time of year (the first puffins arrive in March and most leave in August). You see the puffins congregating on the rocks and cliff tops, or flying around in flocks, while their pufflings are hidden away in their burrows.

The Main Light (1816)

Our wanders round the island presented us with plenty of opportunities to take in the scenic viewpoints, puffins and the striking castle-like lighthouse created by famed lighthouse builder Robert Stevenson in 1816. All the while you have to be careful to keep to the paths as the puffins have built their burrows right up to the edge and one wrong step could crush the burrow and the chicks inside. Basically, the island is a honeycomb of burrows at this time of year!

It’s hard to know where to look as a photographer with so much you could snap, but attempting to capture the classic shot of puffins with their beaks full of sand eels was good fun. We didn’t expect to see any pufflings as they still well hidden in their burrows to avoid becoming gull-snacks, only coming out at night when they are ready. Besides the puffins, there were plenty of cute grey gull chicks around the island, mostly in trios, plus thousands of cliff-nesters such as razorbills and guillemots.

The island has a compelling story to tell, which includes the ruins of the priory established by Kind David I (1135), the remains of Scotland’s first lighthouse (1636) and Scotland’s oldest bird observatory (established 1934 in the old low lighthouse that dates back to 1843). There are curious concrete leftovers from WW2 scattered across the island as well, remnants of the part played by the island in the defence of the Forth.

The South Horn (1918)

I found myself fascinated by the two foghorns (1918 and 1938) and the elaborate system of pipes and compressed air tanks required to make them work. They really look like the work of some mad sculptor, but played a vital role in warning shipping up to five miles away when a haar crept over the island and the surrounding waters. Each had a distinctive sound intended to help sailors tell them apart.

Our time on the island (around 3 hours) came to an end far too quickly. The arctic terns seemed a little less energetic as we headed down to the jetty, but maybe they had exhausted themselves swooping on the passengers of the May Princess (the boat from Anstruther) which had boarded before us. The island had one last treat for us as we left with the sighting of at least 30 seals basking on the rocks.

I won’t forget my time on the island anytime soon. In fact, I would happily repeat the experience without hesitation if the opportunity arose again, arctic terns and all!

Practicalities

Our trip out to the Isle of May started at North Berwick harbour. We took one of the many boat trips offered by the Scottish Sea Bird Centre with Seafari.

The publicity material showed an open rigid inflatable boat (RIB), but we actually sped out to the island on the Seafari Express with a cabin to shelter most of the passengers. I’ve never been on a RIB before so was unfamiliar with the motorcycle style seating that you straddle, with a grip in front, but it was all fine. Good fun even.

Seafari Express

As with our boat trip to the Bass Rock the complications of Covid have necessitated a few changes to maintain social distance, including allocated seating by group and masks while on board. Nothing too troubling though and once out on the island we could enjoy maskless freedom and forget about the troubles of the world for a few hours.

Our seafari guide provided us with maps of the island and took us on a short introductory walk from the visitor centre which really helped us get our bearings and set us up for a terrific day. I’d recommend it to anyone – just don’t forget to bring a hat!

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Seabird city

One of the natural wonders of the world can be found on a small rocky island in the Firth of Forth, just three miles offshore from North Berwick.

The Bass Rock is one of many ancient volcanic plugs in the area, along with Berwick Law and Arthur’s Seat. It has an interesting history that has seen it become the site of an early Christian hermitage, the home to a Scottish noble with a castle fit enough for kings to have visited, a garrison and a prison. It was inhabited by man until 1988, when the last lighthouse keeper departed.

Today, the Bass Rock is best known for the colony of 150,000 northern gannets who have chosen it as their home from February until October. It is not a new phenomenon – gannets have been living here for centuries but the numbers have increased dramatically in the 21st century.

The Bass Rock

The striking sight of the Bass Rock gleaming white in the distance was utterly spellbinding from the first time I saw it on my trip to North Berwick in 2020. On that occasion my attempt to visit was thwarted as strong winds forced the cancellation of the boat trip I was booked on. I vowed to come back and this time, I was a bit luckier. The trip I booked to land on the Bass Rock was cancelled but a trip around the island was able to go ahead.

I was not entirely surprised by the cancellation, having long understood that the two landing points on the island are challenging even under near perfect conditions. I gather that when Sir David Attenborough made his visit to film ‘Flying Monsters’ in 2010 he spent around two hours waiting for the calmer waters that would allow them to land. By all accounts the wait was worth it, with the veteran broadcaster describing the rock as perfection.

Maybe I will succeed in making it ashore one day but for now a circumnavigation would have to do. I’m still lucky, in one sense, as the numbers on the boats out to the island are limited at the moment to allow for social distancing. Seats are allocated so that everyone can stay together in their bubbles and masks are required throughout. None of these minor inconveniences really matter though, because soon enough the magic of the island takes over.

As you approach you see what looks like snowfall over the island, but get a bit closer and you soon realise that the skies are absolutely filled with gannets. More birds than I’ve ever seen anywhere. It’s completely overwhelming and impossible to know where to look next. Ahead of you at the bird filled rock? at the hundreds of gannets flying high above you? to the guillemots skimming over the surface of the water to your right? or the gannet returning with seaweed in its mouth for nest-building?

Beak to beak

Our boat got nearer and we were able to see some of the many young adults that sit lower down on the rock. Up close you can really appreciate the distinctive blue rings around their eyes and those extraordinary black lined beaks. Every now and again one of the young gannets would take flight, setting off an avalanche of gannets. The sheer number of birds made it hard to focus on the detail, but every now and again something would grab your eye – like gannets noisily fighting beak to beak.

Extraordinary as this all was, there is more to the gannets than we saw during our short trip. The gannets are famed for their torpedo like diving, which sees them fold up their wings and dive headfirst into the water at speeds of up to 60 miles per hour. Special trips for photographers organised by the SeaBird centre take place focused on capturing this incredible activity.

It’s hard to imagine that the rock goes quiet in October, when the gannets fly south to the African coast. However, there are occasional exceptions. On the way back to shore our guide told us of Maximus, the lone 9 week old gannet chick spotted on the rock by webcam in December 2008 and nursed back to health.

Once Maximus had recovered he was transported from Prestwick to Cornwall by the aptly named HMS Gannet Search and Rescue unit. From Cornwall the chick was taken by a Cornish fishing trawler and released into the Bay of Biscay. Five years later a check of 100 tagged gannets on the rock revealed that Maximus had made it to adulthood and returned.

A sky full of gannets

I felt so privileged to be able to see such spectacular action. Hopefully one day I’ll get the chance to set foot on the rock and get an even closer look at this natural wonder. Third time lucky?

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A week in North Berwick

On a trip to Scotland last year I was won over by the charms of North Berwick, a coastal town with something of an old school holiday vibe about it. It is relatively compact with a high street mostly made up of independent shops, a beautiful beach and harbour. An astonishing array of natural beauty sits on the doorstep. All just 30 minutes by train from Edinburgh. It was an easy decision to book a stay here for a week.

I covered my walk up Berwick Law and around the ruins of St Andrew’s Kirk Ports in the post Up, down and around North Berwick last year. A longer stay allowed us to explore in a more relaxed fashion, whether that be strolling along the beach, looking in the craft shops or taking in the Lodge Grounds at the heart of the town. A slower pace than my usual hectic racing around.

North Berwick with Berwick Law in the background

The Scottish Seabird Centre, a conservation and education charity, has established a discovery experience here that provides a useful introduction to the astonishing birdlife across the area – as well as operating boat trips from the harbour to Bass Rock and the Isle of May – both extraordinary places which must surely be ranked among the greatest natural wonders of the world (booking in advance highly recommended).

The boat trips were undoubtedly the highlight of our stay, but there are also plenty of pleasant walks on offer in the area if the weather co-operates.

A visit to the beach at Seacliff included the sight of the smallest harbour in the UK (cut into the red sandstone rocks by the local laird in 1890) and stunning views across to Tantallon castle on a good day. Unfortunately, it was pretty misty on the morning I visited. The beach is accessed via a private road from Auldhame with a £3 charge to operate the coin operated barrier. I visited on foot – about 75 minutes one way. Buses to Dunbar also stop nearby.

A westward walk along the beach at North Berwick brought us to Yellowcraig Beach with its spectacular view of the uninhabited island of Fidra and the lighthouse (1885) that was the first in Scotland to be switched to unmanned automatic operation (in 1970). My better half was also thrilled to discover that there was a Marillion connection here, with the lighthouse featuring in a song from 1987.

A view of Fidra from our walk to Yellowcraig Beach

There is plenty more of local interest beyond the thrilling sights on offer from boat trips and beach walks. The castles at Dirleton and Tantallon are easy to reach from North Berwick by bus. We were a little unfortunate that our plans to visit fell through when Historic Scotland closed around 20 castles, cathedrals and palaces in early June due to a risk of unstable masonry falling on visitors. On the bright side, it is good to have a reason to come back.

There are regular, if well-spaced, buses to sights in the surrounding area. A 121 bus from the centre of North Berwick to the National Museum of Flight at East Fortune Airfield or take a 120 bus for a day trip to Dunbar. The journey out to Dunbar is lovely in its own right, taking in Tantallon castle; the charming village of Whitekirk with its medieval church and the picturesque Preston Mill on its route.

Our stay also allowed us to sample some of the local treats, such as the ever changing array of flavours on offer from Alandas, Scotland’s national ice cream champions 2021, and the marvel that is the Cruffin from Bostock bakery (a cross between a muffin and a croissant filled with pistachio cream and raspberry jam). The apartment we were staying in was just a few minutes walk from Alandas so we got through alot of flavours (nothing could rival their pink grapefruit sorbet in my opinion).

A cruffin from Bostock Bakery

North Berwick has quickly become one of my favourite places in the British Isles. I think it is remarkable that it is so close to Edinburgh and yet hasn’t been swamped by over development and chain stores. Long may that remain so!

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Between trains at North Queensferry

In the wait between trains I spent a little time exploring North Queensferry and was surprised to discover how much there was to find, assisted by a leaflet (Self-guided tours of the Forth Bridges) from the Forth Bridge Heritage Centre. The walk over the old Forth Road Bridge offered some spectacular views too.

The highlights of the walk included the Harbour Light Tower on the Town Pier, the world’s smallest working lighthouse (1817); the historic Albert Hotel (1824) which the community is attempting to save from a planned conversion into flats; the restored Jubilee Well (1897) honouring 60 years of Queen Victoria’s reign; Carlingnose Point wildlife reserve with a view of the Gov’y Pier; and, of course, the three Forth Bridges.

The boarded up Albert Hotel in North Queensferry

You can find out more about the history of the area on the website of the North Queensferry Heritage Trust which includes some really terrific walks round the village and walks around the peninsula.

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Steam along the Scottish coast

The forecast was not entirely encouraging for the start of the trip, which was a pity as the first day offered plenty of photographic promise with three steam hauled journeys on the Fife circle (six crossings of the iconic Forth Bridge) with the Flying Scotsman. To see the first I made the trip out to Burntisland where the railway line runs along the seafront all the way to Kinghorn, offering great views as trains curve round the bay.

The timings for the Flying Scotsman are usually held back until the last minute due to past problems with trespassing, but plenty of folk seemed to have picked up on the time for the first run as I made my way through the Links. A few photographers had gathered on a mound of raised earth while plenty of locals chose other spots in the park to watch the first pass.

Tempting as this view was, I took the small tunnel under the railway line to the beachfront and walked round to the old slipway. The view from the seafront here took in the sweep of the bay at low tide with the backdrop of the Erskine Church and the low hill beyond, the Binn. It would have been great with a spot of sun but you can’t have everything. I was just pleased that a forecast of heavy rain all day was proving wide of the mark.

The moment arrived – the distinctive sound of an approaching steam locomotive in the air before Flying Scotsman appeared, prompting puzzled looks from passers by oblivious to today’s events. A class of schoolkids returning to the beach from an exploration of the rockpools stopped in their tracks while the local beachguards followed the path of the train with their binoculars. It was a pleasure to watch the scene unfold.

The Flying Scotsman passes through Burntisland

Once the train disappeared from view I headed back to the station and returned to North Queensferry in time to see it pass through on its way back to Edinburgh. I tried the next couple of passes from the harbour and the Forth Road Bridge without getting a short worthy of the wait. I do have a much better idea of the options, as well as their pros and cons, so I’ll chalk it up as preparation for the next time.

The last shot of the day was a little on the unlucky side. The Forth Bridge was illuminated beautifully by the sun before and after the appointed moment. Instead, the train crossed during a short-lived shower.

Never mind. The day may not have delivered perfect photographic conditions in the spots I chose but at the end of the day I was just happy to be here, having exchanged my poorly illuminated office-bedroom for the fresh air and extraordinary landscapes of Scotland.

Summer break

Our travels have brought us to Scotland for a much needed summer break. I like planning and researching trips, but this one has been tricky to arrange with plenty of schedule changes, cancellations and unanticipated complications like the strikes affecting Sunday services on ScotRail. In the end we have somehow managed to re-plan and patch up the itinerary to keep it together, even if it doesn’t always make perfect sense.

The original plan was to split the majority of our time between Dundee, Falkirk and North Berwick but the trip has become much more Edinburgh centric to overcome some of the scheduling difficulties. It was not all bad news though. We were able to take advantage of some unusually affordable pricing to spend a night at The Caledonian at the beginning of our trip and even luckier to get upgraded to a castle view.

Waldorf Astoria Edinburgh – The Caledonian

The Caledonian is an incredibly grand hotel (far too grand for the likes of us) that was originally built in 1899 as a railway hotel above the entrance to Princes Street station (1870-1965). It’s a striking building in red sandstone that has become one of Edinburgh’s iconic buildings. Many of the rooms offer astonishing views across to St Cuthbert’s Church and the castle beyond.

It was wonderful to see that the owners of the hotel celibrate its railway heritage, which extends far beyond the grand three-arched entrance and preserved cast iron station gates on Rutland Street. On the walls inside you will find architectural prints celebrating the design of the building and stained glass windows from the station platforms depicting the Caledonian Railway coat of arms.

The hotel lounge was originally part of the concourse and you can see historic photographs that match up exactly to the space (albeit with a high ceiling rather than a glass roof above). On one wall the hotel have framed the face of the station’s original clock, a survivor of the fire in 1890, which was set to run five minutes fast to make it less likely that passengers would miss their trains!

Room with a view

A few decades ago I stayed in another railway hotel built by the Caledonian Railway, at Glasgow Central railway station, in one of the small converted rooms for servants built into the rooftop. Needless to say that was a very different experience. It felt like the Central Hotel had not seen much modification over the years, but I gather that it has been through a couple of renovations since I stayed and is probably quite unrecognisable now.

I’m not sure that I’m really cut out for five star grandeur and the impressive level of service on offer, but as a railway enthusiast it was lovely to spend one night at The Caledonian before moving on.

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A fortified line in the Firth of Forth

One of the more unusual sights in Scotland can be found at Cramond, thirty minutes by bus from Edinburgh. A short walk through the picturesque village brings you to the shore and the striking sight of a line of 3 metre tall concrete pylons stretching for a mile across the Forth to Cramond Island. In the Second World War this was part of a defensive line in the estuary, helping to protect the naval dockyard at Rosyth.

The striking sight of the concrete pillars that make up the defensive line at Cramond

The concrete pylons and the interlocking concrete barriers that slotted between them were designed to stop torpedo boats from passing between the island and the mainland at high tide. At the end of the line sits Cramond Island, which was initially fortified in the First World War and then strengthened in the Second World War. A submarine boom could be extended from the northern tip of the island across the Forth to Inchcolm Island. Beyond Cramond Island you can see the much more heavily fortified island of Inchmickery.

The walk along the causeway next to the pillars at low tide takes around 15-20 minutes and brings you to ‘the Knoll’ on the southern tip of the island where you can find the remains of a 75mm gun emplacement and searchlight station. It’s all covered in graffiti at the moment and clearly not maintained but don’t let that put you off.

A loop around the island takes roughly an hour with splendid views back to the mainland from the summit. Other sights to be discovered include the remains of a farmhouse; the ruins of a shelter used by duck and rabbit shooting parties; the remains of a pier used for supplies; and a handful of buildings and circular gun emplacements from the battery in the north of the island.

From my pre-trip research I had understood that this was one of those places off the mainstream tourist trail and more likely to be visited by those with a bit of local knowledge. However, this was where I encountered the most international tourists on my three day stay (if the assortment of languages was anything to go by) so that was clearly way off beam.

The view from the summit back to the mainland

A display board at the shoreline indicates the safe window to walk out to the island with a plea not to tie up the emergency services at this difficult time. I made the walk along the causeway twice at low tide and was struck by how quickly the water had come back in over the stretch of a couple of hours. I was not surprised to hear that the RNLI often have to rescue stranded walkers.

The Cramond Association have a series of rather splendid leaflets that explain the historic sights to be seen on a walk around Cramond village and over to the island which was most helpful in getting the most out of my visit.

If you visit Arthur’s Seat during your stay don’t forget to look for Cramond island which is clearly visible from the summit.

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Up, down and around North Berwick

The stunning coastline around North Berwick is within easy reach of Edinburgh – just thirty minutes away by train. The plan for my day was to explore the town, take a walk up to the top of Berwick Law and then join a boat trip out to Bass Rock. It didn’t entirely work out, but proved a great place to spend some time.

Fibre glass replica of the whale bone arch atop Berwick Law

A single platform surrounded by housing development await day trippers at the end of the single tracked North Berwick branch line. The station buildings here were demolished in the 1980s following decades of decline. Today, there is little indication of the extensive footprint of the old station with just a couple of simple shelters on the platform as the rather modest replacement.

It is a twenty minute walk from the railway station to the car park at the bottom of Berwick Law, a volcanic plug dating back 340 million years. The climb is fairly gentle for the most part and it doesn’t take long before you can sit back and admire the views from the summit at 613 feet above sea level. Although it was a summer Saturday I was still surprised by just how popular a walk it proved to be, with a steady flow of visitors making their way up.

From the top you can get a great view of another volcanic plug, Bass rock, which hosts the world’s largest colony of northern gannets. There are also splendid views across North Berwick, the island of Craigleth and the Firth of Forth.

Berwick Law has quite a bit of history, having seen human occupation from the iron ages (you pass hut circles on the way up) to the twentieth century (close to the summit you can see a concrete observation post used during the two world wars). At the top there are the ruins of a stone building erected in 1803 as a signal station during the Napoleonic Wars, a summit marker and a fibre-glass replica of the whale bone arch that has stood here since 1709 (the whale bones had been replaced periodically, rather than one set lasting the centuries).

It is a stunning view but all the better with a couple of Kestrels taking it in turns to hover and swoop above the slopes. I had hoped to see a bit more bird life with a boat tour out to Bass rock but this plan unraveled when the winds picked up, resulting in the cancellation of the sailing. Not the luckiest of weekend breaks in not the luckiest of years! Instead, I settled for a walk along the coast to get the best view of the rock from the shore. I’ll have to come back and try again next year.

The ruins of St Andrew’s Kirk Ports

The town holds plenty of interest too, such as the Scottish Sea Bird Centre, the porch of St Andrew’s old kirk (which survives because it was used as a lookout point for the volunteer rescue patrol in the nineteenth century) and the picturesque ruins of the seventeenth century St Andrew’s Kirk Ports (the second of three churches in North Berwick to bear the name).

Despite its 500 seat capacity the church of St Andrew’s Kirk Ports was too small by the late 19th century and was partly dismantled, to be deliberately left as a ruin, while the mantle was passed to the new church of St Andrew Blackadder.

As it was an unexpectedly warm day when I visited most folk had gravitated towards the beach or joined a socially distanced queue at the much-in-demand Alandas Gelato. I was sorry not to have a moment to sample the ice cream on offer, which is another good reason to come back!

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Three days in Edinburgh

A stay in Edinburgh during August is usually ruinously expensive, but not on this occasion. The usual draws of the Edinburgh Fringe and Edinburgh Tattoo are taking place virtually this year so the city was a lot quieter, with fewer tourists around. I took the opportunity of a long weekend to re-visit a few favourite spots and discover some interesting locations beyond the city.

Salisbury Crags and Edinburgh city centre

In spite of its outwardly historic appearance the city has changed quite a bit since my first visit in April 1997 and more change is on its way. A walk to take in the view at sunrise from Calton Hill revealed a series of cranes, construction sites and demolition taking place across the city. My hotel itself is one of many with a historic facade but a modern building behind. However, not everything has been spruced up.

I was amused to see that my hotel room presented me with a view of the first club I ended up in 23 years ago. It has somehow managed the feat of looking as dingy today as it did all those years ago. On that trip I was staying with some friends from Edinburgh Uni in their student digs in Clerk Street, tucked up in a sleeping bag. My room this time was rather more comfortable but probably a bit less fun. I won’t miss the hangover though!

There is plenty that I haven’t seen, in spite of this being my eighth trip to the city, but many of the places on my list (such as Gladstone’s Land) are understandably closed with their spaces not lending themselves easily to social distancing. However, there was still plenty to see and do.

Arthur’s Seat

The climb to the top of Arthur’s Seat, an extinct volcano, offers an incredible reward for a relatively short hike to the summit at 251 metres above sea level. The first time I came up here 23 years ago I had no idea what to expect and was absolutely overwhelmed by the stunning vista of the sprawling city and the estuary beyond. My original guide had said that he climbed up there whenever he had a problem and that these usually seemed insignificant when faced with all this.

Summit marker at Arthur’s Seat

The first time up I took the steeper route, scrambling up the rocky face, but this time I settled on the easier route from the Holyrood car park and still found that somewhat tiring (only a little of which I can ascribe to months in lockdown). I started my climb at sunrise, noting that there was only a brief chance of a break in the clouds and was rewarded with the sight of the fingers of god over the estuary and a burst of sunlight illuminating the city. The view doesn’t get any less impressive on a repeat visit, nor does it get any less windy at the top.

Only a handful of walkers made it up to the top at such an early hour, including one local chap making the ascent as his morning walk before going home to cook breakfast. As I was coming down I could see many more heading up.

Salisbury Crags

After climbing to Arthur’s Seat I took a walk along the top of Salisbury Crags to take in the ‘nearer’ view from there.

It was certainly easier than the first time I did this walk. On that occasion we got caught in a sudden and rather heavy hailstorm with no shelter. We tried to protect our faces with our coats and arms to no avail. My friend Mike had the idea of getting off the top quickly, stumbling and sliding down one of the steeper slopes which left us covered in grass but spared us any more of the pain!

Atop the Salisbury Crags

I was impressed once again at how quickly you can gain some height and get such a terrific view from the crags. One thing to note is that the radical road, which runs halfway up the side of the 151 feet Salisbury Crags, is currently closed due to the continuing risk of falling rocks. A sign at the start of the path explains that the largest of the rocks was the size of a smart car and that many of the rocks are the size of fridge freezers!

Royal Yacht Britannia

A visit to the Royal Yacht Britannia was not in my original plans, but provided a useful back up option in the face of a fairly wet forecast for the day. It proved far more fascinating than I would have expected, perhaps more accurately described as a floating country house than a pleasure ship. It’s a strange set-up, as you enter the ship via a shopping mall so you don’t really get a good view of the vessel at any point. However, once you are on-board the story of the ship and its unusual interior is completely captivating.

Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art

The Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art is located a pleasant 20 minute walk from the western end of Princes Street but somehow I have never thought to visit. As luck would have it my visit coincided with the re-opening of the gallery from lockdown.

Entry is free but timed tickets now have to be pre-booked. I would have to say that the measures that they have put in place here are the best I have seen anywhere – the queue to get in is carefully marked to keep social distancing, individuals/groups are called forward one at a time to get tickets scanned, a one way system keeps everyone moving without tripping over each other and the numbers on my visit meant keeping far enough apart was never an issue.

Cast iron figure by Antony Gormley buried outside Modern One

Anyway, enough about the Covid-19 precautions. The gallery holds some marvelous pieces, with a surprisingly strong collection of world class surrealist art. The gallery holds many pieces collected by Roland Penrose, who took an early interest in surrealist art and became friends with Max Ernst and other members of the surrealist group. Among these is the extra-ordinary jungle painting ‘La joie de vivre‘ by Max Ernst (1936), which Penrose purchased in 1935 before it was even finished.

One of the most surprising finds in the gallery was the work ‘Between Kilburn and Willeseden Green, Winter Evening‘ by Leon Kossof (1992). Of all the things to see in the gallery, I least expected to see an image of suburban diesel and electric trains in London. It’s a really striking painting that captures the movement within its thick strokes of paint. I thought it was wonderful.

Other highlights for me included ‘The young card players’ by Anne Finlay (c.1938); ‘Christ delivered to the people‘ by Stanley Spencer (1950); ‘Oiseau‘ by Salvador Dali (1928); ‘Le drapeau noir‘ by Rene Magritte (1937) and ‘Lobster telephone‘ by Salvador Dali/Edward James (1938). There’s also a rather splendid exhibition by Katie Paterson which muses on our place in time and space, including a striking self-playing piano performance of the Moonlight Sonata modified by reflection off the surface of the moon.

Master of the Universe by Eduardo Paolozzi in the grounds of Modern Two

On top of these sights in Edinburgh, I planned day trips to North Berwick (around 30 minutes by train from Edinburgh Waverley) and Cramond (around 30 minutes by bus from Princes Street).

The trip was immensely enjoyable. In an era of more complex international travel arrangements it was a pleasure to head north to Edinburgh without having to worry about the shifting sands of quarantine regulations or whether an international travel corridor was about to close. The extraordinary architecture and scenery never fails to impress. Having been reminded of that I started plotting my next trip to Edinburgh before this one had finished.

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Castled out

Our four day trip to Scotland finished with a visit to a castle…

The last time I visited Edinburgh Castle, around ten years ago, it was a cold winter’s day and I virtually had the place to myself. Today was quite the opposite, with crowds filling all the spaces within the castle. It was hard to imagine what this place must be lucky on a busy summer’s day when the numbers increase by half as much again. I certainly don’t want to gain first hand experience of that!

Edinburgh Castle

I never tire of seeing the Scottish National War Memorial, which is a beautiful space originally opened in 1927 as a commemoration of the lives of Scottish soldiers and soldiers in Scottish regiments who died in the First World War. The sight of Archangel Michael hanging over the casket holding the roll of honour in the shrine always takes my breath away. It is a wonderful symbol of hope for mankind amidst the terrible record of the lives lost through war.

Since my last visit an exhibition (‘Prisons of War’) has opened which re-creates the conditions that American prisoners would have experienced in the stone vaults on 27th June 1781. It is wonderfully atmospheric and the snatches of conversation played around you give a good feel for the frustrations of life here. The associated exhibition space displays some remarkable doors which hold the scratched graffiti of the prisoners, including images of ships that they had served on.

Prisons of War

Our visit to the castle more or less ended with the daily firing of the One o’clock gun. The gun is fired at the same time each day, although it has long since lost its purpose of providing ships in the Firth of Forth with a time signal to set their clocks by! A 105mm field gun is used to create the signal and you certainly can’t miss it wherever you are in Edinburgh. Unusually, today’s firing was being filmed as part of a Visit Scotland golf promotion – a soldier with a golf club took a swing followed seconds later by the firing of the gun. All very impressive.

Edinburgh Castle is an amazing place to visit and once again we found that it is easy to underestimate the time that you need to take to explore the site. We easily spent a good three and a half hours wandering around but will still need to come back to do justice to the National War Museum which deserves a good hour or two in itself to appreciate fully.

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Stirling

In the castle stakes we moved up a few notches today, visiting Stirling Castle – an easy day trip from Edinburgh (just fifty minutes by train). It is a fascinating site to explore – you have all the incredible artristry that you might expect to find in a Royal residence but you also have the parallel story of a castle that was besieged and fought over throughout history. Quite a combination.

The Great Hall in Stirling Castle

The castle is quite simply stunning – the Great Hall, Royal Chapel and Royal Lodgings are incredible spaces to explore – but the highlights for me were the Stirling Heads and the Unicorn Tapestries (depicting the hunt of the unicorn) that have been replicated as part of the recreated Royal lodgings of James V and Mary of Guise.

The Stirling Heads were a series of 16th century carved heads that decorated the ceiling of the King’s Inner Hall until it collapsed. The ceiling was dismantled around 1777 and the heads dispersed – some were later destroyed and others are missing. Thankfully, the wife of one of the deputy governors had the foresight to seek out and create a record of all the heads whilst they were still in existence.

Today, you can visit a fascinating gallery displaying some of the surviving heads along with an explanation of their history and significance. A re-creation of the ceiling in the King’s Inner Hall leaves you in no doubt that this must have been an awe-inspiring sight for any visitor and how lowly most would have been made to feel in the company of the great figures depicted (which included Hercules, Roman Emperors, Scottish Kings, Charles V, Mary of Guise and Henry VIII).

It was pretty clear that we underestimated how long you need in Stirling to do the place any justice. Our visit to the castle lasted a good three and a half hours, although that allowed for only a quick whizz around the Regimental Museum of the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders and we would really have liked a longer visit to appreciate the artefacts on display there. Nevertheless, we packed alot into our limited time – joining one of the tours of Argyll Lodging House and taking a good look around the nearby Old Town Cemetery.

The Old Town Cemetery was one of the unexpected highlights of our trip. The cemetery sits in the shadow of the castle and is home to some distinctive monuments, such as the Star Pyramid (also known as the Covenanters Memorial) and the Martyrs Monument.

The Martyrs Monument

This striking memorial is impossible to miss when you enter the cemetery. It commemorates the martyrdom of the 18 year old covenanter Margaret Wilson who died for her religious beliefs on 11th May 1685 – horrifically tied to a stake on the Solway Firth and left to drown on the incoming tide. In the monument Margaret Wilson can be seen reading the Bible to her younger sister Agnes, whilst her guardian angel shows her despair.

Stirling is a fantastic place to visit, but probably needs at least two days to cover properly. There are plenty of sights that we didn’t even attempt to see, such as the National Wallace Monument and the Church of the Holy Rude. It would also have been great to get down to the formal gardens below the castle and get a better sense of how it dominates the landscape (something that you don’t really see when you approach from the town centre). I think we will have to go back someday…

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Craigmillar to Calton Hill

Another day, another castle! Today’s castle was at Craigmillar, in the south-eastern suburbs of Edinburgh. At one time the castle was a rural retreat, close enough to the city to be accessible but sufficiently set apart to offer Mary Queen of Scots some respite from bloody 16th century politics.

As the bus timetables suggested we had a bit of a wait, we decided to take a walk to the castle. Although we probably didn’t gain anything from this, it offered an interesting stroll out of the city centre and took about an hour. It made it all the more apparent that the castle sits amidst a sea of urban clutter, though the final section of the walk takes you into Craigmillar Country Park which goes some way towards preserving the illusion of the castle as a rural retreat.

The castle itself is a fascinating and handsome sight, having progressed from the earliest phases of construction in the 14th century to become a more complex residence in the 16th century, before finally being reduced to a romantic ruin by the late 18th century. After taking a good look round we opted to take the bus (from the nearby Royal Infirmary at Little France) back into town.

St Andrew’s House and Calton Hill

The afternoon saw us take a somewhat haphazard walk around Edinburgh, incorporating the Royal Mile and the annual exhibition at the Royal Scottish Academy (including a rather remarkable sculpture of a cheetah made from hundreds of wire coat hangers, entitled Spike). Finally, we made it to Calton Hill, which has to be one of my favourite spots in Edinburgh along with the nearby volcanic peak of Arthur’s Seat.

Calton Hill was one of the first public parks in the country. The philosopher David Hume was influential in persuading the council to build a walk ‘for the health and amusement of the inhabitants’ which you can still take today. The eclectic mix of buildings at the top is part of its appeal to me – including the National Monument of Scotland (modelled on the Parthenon), the Nelson Monument and the Dugald Stewart Monument (modelled on the Choragic Monument of Lysicrates).

The Dugald Stewart Monument on Calton Hill

The sights of Calton Hill looked as magnificent as ever in the afternoon sun, though that didn’t stop me coming back at sunset (around 10pm) to join a string of photographers trying to grab that perfect shot of the city as the light died. It was never going to be a particularly original shot, but it was fun all the same!

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Bo’ness, Blackness and the Forth

Our afternoon took us out to Blackness Castle and the contrast with Linlithgow Palace couldn’t have been greater. On the one hand you have a palace that was quite literally fit for a king and on the other you have an impregnable garrison fortress and state prison which was intended as a hefty deterrent to would be invaders.

We took advantage of a helpful free publication from Falkirk Council called Discover the path networks in and around Bo’ness and Blackness, sampling the walk between Bo’ness and Blackness foreshore. The walk took around an hour, though I may have skewed the timings by stopping for photographs a little too frequently…

The footpath from Bo’ness to Blackness Foreshore

The walk was delightful, taking in the ruined church at Carriden, the neighbouring woods and the beautiful scenery along the shore of the Firth of Forth. At times the path was a little overgrown, forcing us down onto the pebbles of the foreshore, but never arduous. Unsurprisingly, the hot weather had brought many families to the beach at Blackness and to the green lawns that surround Blackness Castle – I am sure that it is rarely quite as busy as this!

One unexpected sight along the way was the Royal Fleet Auxiliary ship Fort Austin (A386) which could be seen berthed on the opposite shore at Crombie Jetty. Aside from this, a few freighters and a fair number of small sailing vessels could be seen on the water.

Blackness Castle

Blackness castle has a distinctive shape, which earned it the name of ‘the ship that never sailed’. The castle is located on a rocky promontory that juts into the Firth of Forth (this is never more obvious than when you cross the rough courtyard floor hewn from the rock!). The first mention of a castle at Blackness comes from 1449, though the castle we see today owes most to the major works commissioned by James V which were carried out between 1537 and 1543.

It is hard to imagine, but by the late nineteenth century the entire courtyard had been covered over by a concrete and iron roof (subsequently removed in the 1920s) to serve the castle in its new role as an ammunition depot. A pier out into the Forth was also added to facilitate the movement of munitions, including the supply of the fleet before the Battle of Jutland in 1916. The castle must surely have one of the longest and richest histories of active participation in war – its peace today is much deserved!

A guidebook is certainly a must here to get any real sense of the castle and its many layers of history. It is definetly well worth a visit – although it pays to plan carefully to ensure that you are not left waiting for too many hours for the infrequent buses back to Linlithgow!

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Sleeper to Scotland

Travelling across town to Euston as midnight approached seemed more than a little strange, but once you are on board the Caledonian Sleeper all such thoughts disappear. The simplicity of falling asleep in London and waking up in Edinburgh on a bright sunny morning was enough to persuade me that this was the perfect way to start a four day trip to Scotland.

Our destination: Sunny Scotland

The two berth cabins on the Caledonian Sleeper are certainly cosier than those of many sleeper trains that I have travelled on, but the comfortable bedding and convenience of a flip-up wash basin certainly make this a great way to maximise the time at your destination.

The special ingredient on top of this arrangement were the charming hosts that greet you on your arrival at the carriage door and then do everything they can to make your journey work as smoothly as it should. The hosts help get you familiarised with the quirks of cabin life and stay on hand through the night if you need to get back after an early morning in the lounge car (it was reassuring to know that we could leave our baggage securely locked in our cabin if we wanted, though in practice we opted for sleep).

Our train arrived at Edinburgh Waverly on schedule at 7:22 in the morning, though you can remain in your berth until 7:45 which was sufficient to allow for a leisurely start. Coffee and shortbread had been delivered about half an hour before our arrival, so I felt surprisingly alert – though I wasn’t sure my sleepy cabin companion shared the same sentiments!

Linlithgow Cross and Burgh Halls

Within the hour we were on our way again, travelling the short distance to Linlithgow by a local ScotRail service (around 20 minutes away). Linlithgow is most famous for the magnificent ruins of Linlithgow Palace, the birthplace of Mary Queen of Scots, though in truth the whole town was a delight with its historic streetscape and plethora of interesting buildings.

The Linlithgow Heritage Trail provides a handy guide to the local sights which we haphazardly followed. The most striking of the sights was Linlithgow Cross Well, which is an early nineteenth century replica of a much earlier well which had been destroyed during the occupation of the town by Oliver Cromwell’s forces in the 1650s. A short walk up from the cross brought us to the sixteenth century Palace gatehouse.

Linlithgow Palace

The setting for Linlithgow Palace is stunning. The Palace is beautifully complemented by the waters of Linlithgow Loch and the lusciously green park of Linlithgow Peel. The waters seemed like an oasis of calm with a few boats peacefully settled for a spot of fishing, apart from the occasional squawking of the loch’s swans to break the peace!

The interior of the Palace is a wonderful, and sometimes bewildering, space to wander around. It is hard to visualise just how grand the rooms would have been in their time, but occasionally small traces of surviving ornamentation give you a clue – such as a unicorn carved into the ceiling of one room. The highlight of the visit was, without any doubt, the ornate King’s Fountain which sits in the middle of the courtyard. The fountain was commissioned by James V in 1537 and is believed to be the oldest surviving fountain in the United Kingdom. It was restored by Historic Scotland and continues to function to this day (although not on the day that we visited).

A pigeon joins the menagerie on the King’s Fountain

After completing our tour of the Palace we visited the neighbouring medieval church of St Michael’s which holds its own place in history. Mary Queen of Scots was baptised in the font at the church, although this – and all bar one of the statues in the church – did not survive the Scottish reformation. The church is hard to miss today with an unusual aluminium spire that was added in the 1960s.

The final stop on our visit was the Old Post Office (1904) which has been converted to a pub. The building caught our eye from the outset and proved to be a good place to stop for refreshment before travelling onward.

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The Caledonian Sleeper

After three full-on days of walking, trains and photography I was quite ready for a comfy bed on the Caledonian Sleeper from Inverness to London. It was the first time that I had tried this and was pleasantly surprised by the experience – maybe I’ve had a few too many nights on Chinese night sleepers lately which have perhaps not made the best case for how well you can sleep on a train!

After three days of beautiful weather it started to rain as I stood around on the platform at Inverness station. Passengers were allowed on board at 8pm and the train departed on time at 8.46pm. I was sharing a twin berth cabin for the journey back which turned out to be perfectly comfortable. I had a good night’s sleep and the first place I caught sight of after waking up was Berkhamsted. A morning coffee and shortbread were delivered for breakfast (just what I needed) and before I knew it we were at London Euston (arriving slightly early at 7.40am). Time to re-adjust to everyday life!

Class 67 diesel locomotive 67030 at the head of the Caledonian Sleeper at Inverness

The Caledonian Sleeper

ScotRail electric locomotive 90024 hauled the sleeper into London Euston

Steam across the Clachnaharry Swing Bridge

I took a short video clip of LMS Class 5MT 4-6-0s 44871 and 45407 hauling the Great Britain IV railtour through Clachnaharry on the evening of 18th April 2011 with the one way working from Wick to Inverness. At Clachnaharry the locomotives pass a traditional wooden signal box and cross the swing bridge over the Caledonian Canal. The glorious evening sun of the previous day was nowhere to be seen, but the sight was still worth coming out to see…

The Caledonian Canal and Clachnaharry

In the late afternoon I headed out of the town centre and followed the Caledonian Canal through its final few locks to Clachnaharry. I took a walk out to the last lock and enjoyed the sight of some of the regular ScotRail services passing over the Swing bridge here before the arrival of the two black fives (LMS Class 5MT 4-6-0s 44871 and 45407) with the Great Britain IV railtour from Wick to Inverness.

Locks on the Caledonian Canal at Clachnaharry

The 14:36 First ScotRail service from Kyle of Lochalsh to Inverness passes through Clachnaharry around 17:12

The Caledonian Canal

The last lock

LMS Class 5MT 4-6-0s 44871 and 45407 pass through Clachnaharry on 18th April 2011

Class 47 diesel 47760 at Inverness with the empty coaches from the Great Britain IV railtour

Culloden and Fort George

As I had only one full day in Inverness I tried to make the most of this by heading out from Inverness on an early morning bus (no. 2) to Culloden Battlefield (a journey of about 25 minutes) from where I could walk to the Nairn viaduct and Clava Cairns before doubling back to the visitor centre at Culloden battlefield ready for its opening at 9am.

The battlefield visitor centre provides a fantastic explanation of the background to the conflict and the steps that led to the battle at Culloden. It’s fair to say that I had a limited knowledge of the battle and seem to have picked up many of the common misconceptions so it was good to get a much better grasp of what took place. I can’t stress highly enough what a good insight the visitor centre gives you into the reality – and with an interactive experience that helps to deliver this is an interesting way. One side of your route through the centre follows the government forces and the other the Jacobite forces – with the feed of artefacts and information broken up by hands on displays, moving maps and a battle immersion experience.

In particular I had fallen foul of the misconception that the Jacobite forces were a rabble (rather than a potent and organised military force) and was glad to have that corrected. I also had no idea about the night march to try and make a surprise attack on the government forces at Nairn in the early morning. How differently would things have turned out, had they succeeded?

At the end of the museum you can pick up a battlefield guide – a GPS device that shows you whereabouts you are on the battlefield and automatically starts playing when you reach the appropriate spots. Genius! I had a good wander round and got a reasonable grasp of the battlefield – ending back in the museum for the final displays on the aftermath of the battle. I would heartily recommend a visit to anyone.

I took a bus back into Inverness and headed to the bus station to catch the 11A bus to Ardesier, from where it is about a a 30 minute walk to the vast and imposing fortress that is Fort George. Unlike some of the forts I have visited recently this one is still an active military base, giving it a slightly different feel. I had a great time wandering around the walls and exploring the buildings open to the public before retracing my steps to Ardesier and catching the bus back into Inverness.

Clava Cairns

Memorial cairn at Culloden

Dog cemetery at Fort George

Provision stores at Fort George

Garrison chapel at Fort George

Telephone boxes outside the Artillery block at Fort George

Inverness

The journey from Edinburgh to Inverness was a first for me, reminding me of how many places I have not visited in Scotland that I would like to see. The list was already long enough but has grown a bit longer! I arrived at 17:38 and had some time to chill out before the arrival of Scots Guardsman with the railtour at 19:08.

Quite a crowd had gathered on the platform and I stood with some friendly guys who had decamped from an afternoon in the pub, raising a smile or two as I waited (thanks guys!). Afterwards I wandered round Inverness at sunset – it was one of those evenings where the combination of late evening sun and dark, threatening clouds gave the place an incredible look.

Royal Scot Class steam locomotive 46115 ‘Scots Guardsman’ arrives at Inverness with the Great Britain IV railtour

Inverness Castle

Inverness and the river Ness at sunset

Footbridge over the river Ness

Inverness Castle at sunset

Ness Bank Church in Inverness

Edinburgh in the springtime

I got back into Edinburgh just after midday and had just under two hours for a wander. I visited the Scott monument for the first time (it had never been open on any of my previous visits to Edinburgh many years ago as it was undergoing restoration at the time) and then around the gardens. It is hard not to be seduced by the view up to the castle, particularly with a carpet of daffodils in bloom before it and I had a few attempts at catching that on camera. I had a pleasant wander around and then boarded the 13:50 ScotRail service to Inverness.

The shadow of the Scott monument falls on Princes Street

The view from the Scott monument – Calton Hill to Arthur’s Seat

An eagle looks out from the Scott monument

A carpet of daffodils leads up to Edinburgh Castle

Edinburgh in the spring

Underneath the walls of Edinburgh Castle

Steam across the Forth Bridge

I had some vague notion that I would get up early and take some photographs of the Forth Bridge at sunrise but after a relatively tiring first day I quashed that thought. Nevertheless, I was still up and about fairly early, giving me a good chance to wander around South Queensferry before most people were up. In the early morning light the Forth Bridge looked especially beautiful.

Try as you might, nothing really prepares you for the sheer scale and enormity of the construction – especially as you wander underneath. I took a walk out to Long Craig Pier which had seemed a promising location on the map and decided that this was the spot for me…

Royal Scot Class steam locomotive 46115 'Scots Guardsman' crosses the Forth Bridge on 17th April 2011

After the railtour had passed I headed back to Dalmeny station, following some steps I spotted the steps just underneath the first lengths of the bridge. This eventually hooks up with a path straight to the station. A class 47 diesel was following the railtour and as luck would have it, I was able to get a shot of this a few minutes after I arrived at the station. Soon after, it headed on to the bridge in pursuit of the railtour.

A West Coast Railways class 47 diesel waits for a green signal to head onto the Forth Bridge in pursuit of the railtour

I had a while to wait for a train back into Edinburgh so sat down on the platform and basked in the sun. It was good to be able to relax once again…