July 15-30, 2023
| 15th - Arrival | 16th - Dean Village | 17th - Portabello Beach | 18th - Union Canal | 19th - Baird & Blackford |
| 20th - Mercat Cross | 21st - Cramond Beach | 22nd - Botanical Gardens | 23rd - Stirling | 24th - Scottish Museum |
| 25th - Duddingston | 26th - Pentland Hills | 27th - Glasgow | 28th - Gardens | 29th - Rugby game |
Monday
Today we’d go to the coast – not that it was very far. Portabello Beach was calling to us: to see the wide, sandy beaches and the lapping coastal waves. We hopped on a bus and made our way there. It was a short trip and we were soon walking down the main street of the town, noting that every other storefront appeared to be a charity shop of some kind.
But first a quick comment about Edinburgh buses:
– You can buy ticket at machine, on board, or via the tap-tap-app
– You should flag down the bus you want, as they don’t all stop otherwise.
– Not all buses have live reader boards
– Not all bus stops have schedules, or sometimes no maps
Homes just off the beach front
Welcome to Portabello Beach!
Waterfront bike and walking path
Foreground: jellyfish; Background: Dan
We walked along the beach until there was no beach, and then we kept walking, following the coastal trail as it paralleled the water.
Our walking took us to the next waterside town, Musselburgh.
Not as much sandy beach here, but plenty to keep people busy
I will never get used to seeing sailboats at low tide
Lovely weather and lovely views
Uh oh – what’s this?
Unfortunately, a man was found dead that morning near the beach. No foul play was suspected, but they had closed off the area while they made their investigations. At this point we were directed away from the coast so we took the opportunity to go “inland” and see more of the town. We wandered some side streets and then came to a river spanned by a Roman bridge – I can never say “No” to a Roman bridge!
Arthur’s Seat from Musselburgh
The main street of Musselburgh
Roman bridge over the River Esk
???
The modern bridge downstream
I saw this sign in a couple of different places and could not for the life of me understand what it meant
And then I found out what it meant: Medieval tradition clings on in rural Scotland’s strangest summer festival. I never expected that explanation!
From the river we meandered our way further along the streets, knowing that there was another historic site somewhere around here. Along the way we passed what would be the first of many lawn bowling clubs. I had no idea that such an activity was so popular in Scotland!
Precision grounds keeping
It was a short while later that we climbed a hill and found ourselves at the Inveresk Cemetery. Once the site of a Roman fort, now it was the final resting place of many notable persons (although to be honest, I don’t know any of them).
Saint Michael’s Parish Church
Great views from the hilltop
A son who cherished his parents
Leaving the cemetery behind, we chose a woodsy trail to get a feel for nature. It seems like it had been too long since we had dirt under our shoes and trees over our heads. It was a relaxing, quiet, trail, although we really had no idea where it would lead us.
Another mystery plaque!
Modern shops at the old Eskmills factory site
Our trail dumped us off on the outskirts of Musselburgh, but nowhere near where we wanted to be, which was “lunch”. We walked some more until we found a bus route, and then hopped on the next bus back to Portabello Beach. There, we found some lunch at St Andrews (not the town of St Andrews) where I once again tasted the fish ‘n chips. This one was better than the last!
Church -> Police Station
After lunch we hopped on to the bus and back to Edinburgh. We had put quite a few steps in and we were ready to chill back at our room.
I love the external solution to waste water removal in the older buildings
A quick stop for coffee at Grow Urban
Dan loves coffee and I love plants – perfect!
