Author Archives: djshinton

I’ve been itching to get back out into the Lammermuir Hills but with the snow getting thicker by the day the closest it felt safe to attempt was the flatter ground of Haddington nearby. Turned out even that was a push. The path was tricky to find hidden under the snow and as most ofContinue reading “Haddington to Gifford loop – Snow Walk #2”

This time last year we were having a ball in Italy with fresh snow, and rosé wine and were supposed to be doing the same this year. Fresh snow was still on the agenda but a solo walk would have to suffice. Have pretty much run out of routes in the local area (every routeContinue reading “Snow Walk # 1”

Binning Wood – a pretty spiritual place as it’s a functioning ‘natural’ burial site so is covered in graves and floral memorials. I swear you can feel the presence of souls in the air. It’s also very beautiful on a crisp winter day with snow on the ground. We headed straight up through the woodsContinue reading “Binning Wood & Ravensheugh”

76 today. After a couple of glasses of bucks fizz and an online visit to the Conran to Quant exhibition at The Dovecot we decided to take a walk around Corstorphine. We cut across the Gyle park (which barely resembles the large, empty expanse of grass it used to be) on to the old CorstorphineContinue reading “Happy Birthday Mum”

Sounds like somewhere Peter Rabbit from a Beatrix Potter story might hang out. But is actually an area of woodland a couple of miles from Haddington. Not quite so romantic. After a bit of a challenge to find the start point (East Lothian’s new housing continues to take over the landscape), we set off throughContinue reading “Butterdean Wood”

Edinburgh city centre part II. After the riches of the New Town, it was time to visit the underbelly of Edinburgh. Although with the injection of the tourist dollar, it’s not so poor these days. We started with a walk across the Meadows and a visit to Greyfriars Kirkyard – final resting place of JohnContinue reading “The Old Town”

Today’s walk was shared with another of the great Hibees in my life. And one my dad encountered at many a game in varying states of joy or despair… The weather was undecided but we decided just to go for it. Our aim was to follow the paths around the Winton Estate which seemed straightforwardContinue reading “Winton Estate”

Another icy walk but Gran had her yaktrax on so off we set. Down to the Water of Leith from the Modern Art Gallery. I walked the Water of Leith in the autumn last year but was so busy peering at Antony Gormlay’s sculpture of a man (one of 6 to be installed along theContinue reading “The New Town”

I’m not even sure I can call this one a walk. I think a slide, climb, fall, crawl is probably a better description. It was a beautiful, blue sky day. The fields and hills around North Berwick were fairly clear of snow. We parked the car on the eastern side of the Lammermuirs and withContinue reading “Lammermuir Walk”

A walk with Granny. And our start point was the house she grew up in at 45 Rankin Drive. Where I spent many years playing on the back green with my cousins, going to Blackford Pond to feed the ducks, plunking on the piano, watching grandad playing the fiddle and sleeping in the big bedContinue reading “Blackford Hill Nature Reserve”