186 years ago today. John Muir, who convinced US President Theodore Roosevelt that Yosemite should be protected as a national park, was born in Dunbar in East Lothian on 21 April 1838. Today his birthplace is a museum about him. More pics and info: https://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/dunbar/johnmuirbirthplace/index.html
Preston Cross, often said to be the finest mercat cross in Scotland. Erected in the early 1600s, it still stands on its original site, though the world around it has changed in a way that now makes its location look quite odd. More pics and info: https://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/prestonpans/prestoncross/index.html
Today I discovered: #EastLothian is home to #Scotland's first ever #vinyl pressing plant! Dave & Dominique Harvey, the #NorthBerwick -based owners of #SeabassVinyl want their #Macmerry plant to be as sustainable as possible, using wind power and with plans to install solar panels and a battery system for energy storage.
Coming across from #Stow, we passed the sight of the old mediaeval #hospital, the Soutra Aisle with a road sign on the road indicating Soutra Isle 🤣) one of the most important institutions in #medieval Scotland.
All that is left is a stone roofed building. Unfortunately the #bams have been at it and some of the information boards have been vandalised and torn away 😳.
Away for the evening but I have a Marathon (distance) next weekend with old friends, so needs must when…
25k, mainly road with some tracks. Gently rolling, so pretty fast and back to apply breakfast to partner (who is still getting up to speed after two new hips). Enthusiastic #Collie as always.
Newhailes, an astonishing relic: a stately home near Musselburgh in East Lothian with a real "lived in" and unrestored feel. Its origins can be dated back to a rather smaller house called Whitehill that was built here in the 1690s. More pics and info: https://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/musselburgh/newhailes/index.html
Traprain Law, a whaleback volcanic lump rising to 724ft in East Lothian. It was occupied from the Bronze Age and is said to have been home to King Loth of the Gododdin, who gave Lothian its name. More pics and info: https://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/eastlinton/traprainlaw/index.html
One of the nicest of Scotland's many grand houses and castles, Lennoxlove House near Haddington in East Lothian has origins that date back to 1345. Much of the original L-plan tower house still stands in altered form. More pics and info: https://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/haddington/lennoxlove/index.html
The extremely elusive ruin of St Patrick’s Chapel, behind the shore north of Gullane in East Lothian. It was in use in the early 16th century but was subsequently inundated by sand until excavated in the early 20th century. More pics and info: https://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/gullane/stpatricks/index.html
Distracted by a demo on Saturday we didn’t get up to the Cairngorms for a few days but did run Lammer Law and Hopes Reservoir. Known as ‘banjo country’ by friends (Deliverance ref) its wide and open. A couple of k of road but mainly track. Fast with some good cardio. 14.5k.
Bitterly cold wind and a sometimes frozen but generally very comfortable surface.
In East Lothian for the evening. An almost clear night and icy - microspiked running shoes. But we got to see three shooting stars, the remnants of the meteor shower from earlier this week I presume that were disguised by the murk.
12k road run with the lights of Edinburgh in the background.
Dirleton Castle in East Lothian, perched proudly on a rocky outcrop and as improbable as it is impressive. A castle was first built here in the late 1200s and it remained in active use until the mid-1600s. More pics and info: https://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/dirleton/dirletoncastle/index.html
The mighty main wall of Tantallon Castle in East Lothian, seen from Seacliff. It is built across the neck of a rocky headland surrounded by cliffs. The castle's origins date back to the mid 1300s and it saw three centuries of conflict. More pics and info: https://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/northberwick/tantalloncastle/index.html
The pretty village and golf resort of Gullane in East Lothian. Gullane's origins are ancient and a church was established here in the 800s. This was replaced in the 1100s by St Andrew's Kirk, whose ruins still stand. More pics and info: https://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/gullane/gullane/index.html
Coming through the rain, we were surprised by (they were already in the air) a mass of crows, some hundreds calling and circling before making their way towards the Patlands. A noisy spectacle.
Staying overnight in East Lothian we noticed that the local crochet artiste has struck again with an addition to the (wooden) ‘post box’ to mark Halloween. Previous (NHS and Harvest offerings are also shown).
The remarkable Preston Tower in Prestonpans, East Lothian. Its lower part is a four storey castle built in the 1300s or 1400s while the upper part is an extraordinary two storey Jacobean house built on top of the castle in 1626. More pics and info: https://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/prestonpans/prestontower/index.html
Inside the lovely Seton Collegiate Church in East Lothian. Its origins go back to 1242 and it was adapted in 1470 to become a collegiate church, in which a college of priests prayed for the souls of the benefactor and their family. More pics and info: https://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/seton/collegiatechurch/index.html
Seton Collegiate Church in East Lothian, one of Scotland's finest surviving medieval collegiate churches: churches set up with a college of priests whose full-time job it was to pray for the souls of the founder and their family. More pics and info: https://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/seton/collegiatechurch/index.html