Walked 10.5 miles in reverse (but NOT backwards, clarification for some of you clever folk out there who made me laugh) back to Co’path village because there is a complete absence of lodging in the area so I had to stay in Dunbar. Started at 9am and was able to catch the 1:14pm bus back to Dunbar, and that included time to pop into the village community shop and pick up a sandwich and a free coffee they provide to long distance walkers.
The morning started off slow because I just didn’t want to get out of bed. Not because I was particularly tired, but because I was so comfortable. I was spending the night in the Dolphin Inn Hostel in Dunbar and I cannot recommend it enough. A young couple purchased the falling down building just before Covid, then spent the shut down years completely renovating. They did a spectacular job! It is comfortable, friendly, spotlessly clean, interesting, well-decorated and inexpensive. They provide simple continental breakfast and have a well-stocked kitchen to cook your own food, and many comfortable lounging areas. If you’re ever here, check it out.
Anyway, I finally roused myself, headed down to the kitchen for cereal, toast and tea. Lots of fun people to chat with were getting their breakfasts too; we all had different reasons for being there and sharing about our trips to the local area was interesting. I eventually decided I better head out to the trail, so I went to join the John Muir Link path. John Muir was born in Dunbar and spent his first 10 years climbing the old castle and wandering around the countryside, getting his first tastes of exploring and spending hours outdoors with birds, plants, and wild weather. There are many things here named after him, including a path across the country, but not to be confused with the famous John Muir Trail in California. There is a beautiful statue on the High Street and a free museum in his birthplace just across the street. He is such an iconic figure in California; it is pretty wonderful to see the point of view here where his great legacy has its roots. My friends and I will be walking the John Muir Way for three days, culminating our time on it in Edinburgh.
Once out the door things really sped up. I had to navigate around some big roadworks to get down to the sea wall. Once there, I was grateful it was a low tide because by the amount of seaweed strewn all over the pavement; my way could have been submerged. Looking northwestward I had my first good look at Bass Rock out in the Firth of Forth. I think I’ll be seeing more of it over the next couple of days. Today I was headed back southeast, towards Dunbar golf club. This is a very busy and very, very narrow course built between the rocky shoreline and a forest estate. The path is right on the edge. There are plenty of signs warning walkers of the dangers of being hit by an errant golf ball, and instructions of what to do if you hear “Fore!” shouted in your direction. It was a bit nervewracking, and I found myself jogging the two and half miles till the threat of a concussion was safely behind me. Then it was rocky coves and dunes to walk around, until coming to a quintessentially perfect definition of a lighthouse, built in 1899 by the cousins of Robert Louis Stevenson. Maybe giving him inspiration! After that more excitement as the looming Torness nuclear power station grew closer. I was also following along the Forth to Farne pilgrimage path, and I was happy to finally find some of its trail markers. Many of these long distance footpaths overlap a bit.
As I came out of the fields and into the car park for the nature trail that goes around the station, suddenly there was a huge boom of a gun going off. Stopped dead in my tracks, I was shaken and disturbed, but I I nice elderly gentleman sitting on a bench looking out to the sea told me not to worry. Just a farmer’s invention to set up blank shots to go off every so often to frighten the birds from eating the crops. Except he had to repeat ‘birds’ about five times and finally clearly enunciate slowly b-i-r-d-s, because I had no idea how to interpret his accent. We both chuckled. The farmer also had a not so scary scarecrow. The gunshots must work, they terrified me! I proceeded to walk up to the nuclear facility, nervously, and then around the whole thing. Another place I did not dawdle. It was interesting to pass over the effluent river of cooling water.
The path continued along beaches and cliffs, and even turned inland a couple times into sylvan paths to cross over deep ravines carved by burns running to the sea. Along one beach I drew some of my own love, because sometimes you must, and it turned out a bit wonky, because sometimes love is.
I reached Cockburnspath, hopped on the bus, and made it back to Dunbar to meet Annegret and Tory at the train station. It is so great to see them. We spent the afternoon catching up, drinking tea, wandering around pretty much all of Dunbar (it’s not a big place). Tomorrow we start our adventure together! Friends are the best!!
