The last few walks have spanned the time between the pristine snow of winter and the prospect of spring. The in-betweeny stage that’s neither one or the other. It’s all felt a bit wishy washy. So thank god for today. Welcome Spring.
Mum, Bella and I headed off from Gifford. Snowdrops to send us on our way. Isn’t it apt that the first sign of spring is pure white – a blank canvas to begin again.
The walk began in the Yester Estate surrounded by epic trees and headed up the banks of the Gifford Water. We spent much of it navigating the mud but the sound of running water and sun streaming through the trees made it feel like we were lost in a woodland wonderland.
After leaving the estate the landscape opened out around the Danskine Loch and the Donolly Reservoir. Built in 1889, the reservoir supplied Garvald (until 1994) and in the 1950s it wasn’t unusual for fish to come out of the taps in the village. The final stretch through the fields into Garvald was like something from a postcard – the fields fresh green with new life and the sky a bright turquoise blue.
After a seat in the sun, we had a good nose around the most beautiful little red sandstone village full of history – it’s where Cromwell reportedly drank the brewery dry en route from Edinburgh to Dunbar. Before being picked up by our support team of 1 for a roof down journey back to base.
Debbie's 500 Miles for Parkinson's UK 