Some Winter Walking for the Holidays

For more information about Keith and Scottish Horizons please visit scottishhorizons.co.uk or @outdoorfergie

With the excess of the Christmas season approaching here are 10 simple and energetic walks, where you can remove yourself from the hustle and bustle or work off that extra portion of Christmas pudding.

St Abbs to Coldingham Sands: Unbeknownst to many, the Scottish Borders has a small, but magnificent section of coastline stretching fifteen miles from St Abbs to Berwick. Whilst this can be walked in one long day, the couple of miles between St Abbs and Coldingham Sands makes for an easy walk with a fantastic beach to enjoy. From St Abbs Harbour car park, steps lead up to Murrayfield, which turns southeast to join the Berwickshire Coastal Path. It is then simply a matter of following the path down into Coldingham Sands to enjoy the beautiful beach where its distinctive beach huts still survive. It is worth continuing south along the sands for a few hundred yards to Milldown Point and capture the superb view back to St Abbs. To return to St Abbs a short walk heads into Coldingham from where the B6438 can be followed northeast for a short distance to reach the path of Creel Road, which continues back into St Abbs. OS Landranger 67 Start/Finish GR NT919674.

St Abbs from Coldingham

Greenock Cut, Inverclyde: Greenock Cut is a magnificent walk of around seven miles above Greenock, utilising the 19^th century paths and tracks near to Loch Thom that were built to supply fresh water for the residents of Greenock, Gourock, and Port Glasgow. The wildlife here is superb and the views breathtaking. From Greenock Cut Visitor Centre car park turn right onto a single-track road where the road immediately splits. Take the centre path and follow this past Shielhall Farm. An excellent path continues high above the River Clyde, passing some of the workers huts that were built during the construction of Greenock Cut. At Overton turn right and follow a broad track to a fork. Here keep right from where it rises high above Greenock and the Clyde Estuary. Go left when the track splits again and descend past Loch Thom and then back to the visitor centre. OS Landranger Map 63 Start/Finish GR NS247721.

The River Clyde from Greenock Cut

Cathkin Braes, Glasgow: Cathkin Braes Country Park stands at the very edge of Glasgow and comprises of lovely woodland (home to roe deer and woodpecker) as well as bestowing possibly the finest view of the city. Beginning at the large car park on Cathkin Road a good path heads northeast into mixed woodland. It soon exits the woodland and swings left to run along the lip of a steep slope to reach Queen Mary’s Seat (supposedly where Mary Stuart watched the Battle of Langside). This is the highest point of Glasgow and consequently the panorama across the city to the Campsie Fells and the Southern Highlands is truly spectacular. From here turn 180° and make your way back into woodland. A right turn onto a path continues west into the Big Wood, eventually exiting at its western corner. Here make a right and follow a good path back to the start. OS Landranger 64 Start/Finish Grid Reference NS 619579.

Glasgow from Cathkin Braes

Arthur’s Seat and Salisbury Crags, Edinburgh: Holyrood Park in Edinburgh has a multitude of great walks but perhaps the best is the climb onto Arthur’s Seat via the glorious Salisbury Crags. Good paths lead across this historic setting where the views are astonishing. Beginning outside the Scottish Parliament the pavement leads into Holyrood Park. Turning right it then merges with a grassy path, leading underneath Salisbury Crags to reach its base. A wonderful path then climbs along the edge of the crags where the views of Edinburgh Castle and the Firth of Forth are remarkable. Descend towards St Margaret’s Loch before climbing steeply all the way to the compact summit of Arthur’s Seat. Again the views across Edinburgh and along the coast are breathtaking. A steep descent heads down to Dunsapie Loch at Queen’s Drive, where a left turn heads back to the start. OS Landranger Map 66 Start/Finish NT 268739.

Edinburgh from Arthur’s Seat

North Berwick and North Berwick Law, East Lothian: Coastal walking is fantastic during the winter months where strong winds can add to the walk rather than be a hindrance, and the beaches of North Berwick are wonderful for walking. Yellow Craig, a short distance west of North Berwick is a good place to start, in full view of Fidra; Robert Louis Stevenson is thought to have based Treasure Island on Fidra. It is an easy walk across the soft sands towards North Berwick and its harbour. A visit to the Seabird Centre is recommended before walking south along the B1347 to the base of North Berwick Law. A track traverses around the hill and it is only a short (yet sharp) ascent to her summit. Although less than 200 metres in height the views are incredible to Bass Rock, the Firth of Forth and the long ridge of The Pentlands. Retrace steps back to the start. OS Landranger Map 66 Start/Finish GR NT517855.

Bass Rock and North Berwick Law

Cairnbaan to Crinan, Argyll & Bute: There can’t be many better ways to spend a few hours over the festive period than strolling along the towpath of the Crinan Canal, enjoying the rich variety of wildlife and lovely views. Cairnbaan lies only a few miles from Lochgilphead and is the start point of the route. The locks here are still manually operated and it is great to help out when opening and closing them. A towpath follows the line of the canal for five miles into Crinan and as little or as much time can be taken to walk along this wonderful section of Argyll. At Crinan the view stretching across Loch Crinan and the Sound of Jura to Mull’s jumble of peaks is one of the best in Scotland. From Crinan it is a simple matter of retracing steps along the towpath, enjoying the scenery, wildlife, and peace and quiet all over again, back to Cairnbaan. OS Landranger Map 55 Start/Finish GR NR908840.

Crinan

Kerrera, Argyll & Bute: The island of Kerrera, lying a short distance from Oban, is a wonderful, unspoilt place. A walk around Kerrera takes a couple of hours but such is the extent of historical interest and superb views then a whole day can be spent exploring this gorgeous little island. A short ferry ride takes you back in time and onto a beautiful, tranquil location. My own favoured route is to follow the track southwest from the ferry passing beautiful Horseshoe Bay and towards the dramatic and historic ruins of Gylen Castle. The track then a path continues along the quieter west shore from where there is a magnificent view of Mull. After Barn-nam-Boc Bay a stiff climb leads to an amazing viewpoint. The vista is simply astonishing, encompassing the delights of Oban, the Lorn Coast and the great sentinel of Ben Cruachan. An easy descent returns to the ferry. OS Landranger Map 49 Start/Finish GR NM830287.

Ben Cruachan from Kerrera

Loch an Eilean, Badenoch & Speyside: For many the high arctic plateau of the Cairngorms will be out of bounds during the winter months, such is the severity of weather that can persist during the season. Fortunately there is a wealth of low level walks to enjoy and a circuit of gorgeous Loch an Eilein is one of the best. The walk is only about three miles in length but it travels through the magnificent Rothiemurchus Forest, home to a myriad of wildlife, and also past the ancient remains of Loch an Eilein castle, which dates from the 14^th century. It was once home to Alexander Stewart, better known as the notorious Wolf of Badenoch, who ransacked and burned, amongst others, the towns of Forres and Elgin, including its cathedral. Today the walk offers solitude and from the visitor centre a path circumnavigates the loch granting superb views of the wild and windswept Cairngorm Mountains. OS Landranger Map 36 Start/Finish GR NN897087.

Loch an Eilein

Craigellachie, Aviemore, Badenoch & Speyside: Craigellachie Nature Reserve is home to stunning birch woodland and amazing wildlife including Scottish crossbill, wood warbler, lesser redpoll, orange tip, scotch argus, butterflies and the rare Kentish Glory moth. From Aviemore Railway Station turn left, walk along Grampian Road and turn right onto a road for Craigellachie Nature Reserve. Walk by a youth hostel then descend into the reserve. The path climbs gently into gorgeous birch woodland. Go right at a fork to reach Loch Pulardden. Bear left, follow the path around the loch then veer left to a junction, turn right and continue to a path on the left. Follow this to a waymark, turn right continue to the second birch pool. Bear right at the next waymark, then walk around the loch to a junction. Go left onto a stony path then take the first left where a narrow path descends through the woodland, eventually reaching a junction. Make a right, drop down a path to another junction near Loch Pulardden. Bear right, walk back down to the outward-bound path and retrace steps back into Aviemore. OS Landranger Map 36 Start/Finish GR NN896123.

Craigellachie Birch Pool

Findhorn, Moray: Findhorn, sitting on Scotland’s north-east coast, is a beautiful, unspoilt village with a gorgeous sandy beach, lovely dunes and some fantastic views towards the mountains of Caithness. This walk is really a stroll around the village and onto its beach, which is guaranteed to relieve stress levels and blow away the festive cobwebs. The walk can be extended if you wish as you can walk the beach all the way to Burghead. At the entrance to the village a road runs northwest along Findhorn Bay passing the Royal Findhorn Yacht Club. At a boatyard turn left down onto the beach and walk along the lovely sand to reach the dunes. Walk over the dunes that in turn lead onto a beautiful stony beach looking over Burghead Bay. Turn right and enjoy this unblemished corner of Scotland. About a mile along the beach turn right from it into a car park and here quiet roads lead back into the village. OS Landranger Map 27 Start/Finish GR NJ039643.

Findhorn Bay

 

 

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#Queensferry – Royal Crossing

For more information about Keith and Scottish Horizons please visit scottishhorizons.co.uk or @outdoorfergie

The coastal town of Queensferry, standing on the south bank of the Firth of Forth just a few miles west of Edinburgh city centre, is perhaps best known for the iconic structures of the Forth Road and Rail bridges, which span the Firth of Forth, linking Edinburgh with Fife.

However there has been a crossing here for centuries. When Queen Margaret (wife of Malcolm Canmore, King of Scotland) established a church at Dunfermline during the 11^th century she paid for a ferry service to transport pilgrims, on their way to St Andrews, across the Forth Estuary at its narrowest point. Subsequently the village of Queensferry began to grow.

The monks of Dunfermline Abbey initially operated the ferry service and a variety of ferries ran for several centuries. During the 1950’s the Queensferry service was the busiest in Scotland with four ferries annually carrying 1.5 million people, 600,000 cars and 200,000 goods vehicles by 40,000 ferry journeys. However the opening of the Forth Road Bridge in 1964 effectively ended the ferry service and when opened it was the longest suspension bridge in Europe, utilising 39,000 tons of steel.

Preceding this was the Forth Rail Bridge, one of the finest examples of engineering in the world. It took 4000 men seven years to build at a cost for £3.2 million and when opened in 1890 it had required over 54,000 tons of steel and 6.5 million rivets yielding a length of over 8000 feet.

The Queensferry Crossing will open in 2016 to carry motor-cycles, cars and heavy goods vehicles, relieving the pressure on the Forth Road Bridge, which will continue to take public transport, cyclists and pedestrians.

Queensferry Harbour has also long been a focal point to the town and already existed when the town achieved Royal Burgh status in 1641.

Several industries have since taken place in and around its confines including fishing, whisky distilling and soap making. Herring used to be gutted, salted and packed here before being exported to Scandinavia and the Netherlands.

The island of Inchgarvie, which sits a little out on the Firth of Forth is named after the garvie, a local name for the young herring that brought wealth to the town.

The 18^th century saw brandy being smuggled into the harbour while Queensferry’s first whisky distillery, Glenforth, was established in 1828.

During the 17^th century Covenanters, rebelling against the introduction of Bishops into the Presbyterian Church by King Charles I, were forced to hide in the attics and cellars of the houses around Queensferry Harbour before taking the towns fleet of ships at high tide and embarking on a journey to the more tolerant Low Countries where they could freely practice their faith.

The Forth Road Bridge

The Forth Rail Bridge

 

#Edinburgh A Monumental Place

Like Arthur’s Seat, Calton Hill was formed through volcanic activity some 340 million years ago and then gouged by glaciers during the Ice Age, leaving this little hill standing proud at just over 100 metres in height.

In 1724 the town council of Edinburgh established Calton Hill as one of Britain’s public parks and it is now part of Edinburgh’s Old and New Town Heritage Site. As well as being a popular location for Edinburgh’s Festival and Hogmanay celebrations Calton Hill is the site of the annual spring fire festival of Beltane on the last day of April where a procession makes its way across the summit.

Due to lack of funds the National Monument was never completed but it dominates the summit of Calton Hill. It was inspired by the Parthenon in Athens and built in 1822 as a memorial to the Scots soldiers who died in the Napoleonic Wars. The architects were Charles Robert Cockerell and William Henry Playfair.

Also designed by Playfair was the Playfair Monument, which was built for his uncle, John Playfair who played a major role in establishing the City Observatory as well as being the Chair of Mathematics and Chair of Natural Philosophy at Edinburgh University.

The City Observatory stands next to the Playfair Monument and is actually three buildings – the Old Observatory was built in 1776, work on the New Observatory began in 1818, whilst the City Observatory, with its distinctive green dome, opened in 1895.

William Playfair also designed The Dugald Stewart in the style of a Grecian Temple. Stewart was a philosopher who, like John Playfair, was Chair of Mathematics and Chair of Natural Philosophy at Edinburgh University. Stewart also first compared Edinburgh with Athens, which in turn led Edinburgh becoming known as the ‘Athens of the North’.

The final memorial is the 100-foot high Nelson Monument, which was erected in 1807, two years after Admiral Horatio Nelson’s death at the Battle of Trafalgar.

Edinburgh from Calton Hill

The National Monument of Scotland