best part of the day: the nb circuit

11th Oct.

I hadn't done the NB circuit this year. Mary was interested in doing a longer run and the weather was looking pretty good. Binning Woods are lovely from here on in and there may even be a comma about the place. Let's go!

Easter Road under blue skies

The forecast was best earlier and somehow we managed to get to North Berwick Law car park for 10am. I know this isn't exactly dawn but it was nearly perfect to raid the best part of the day. I was keen to do the slight extension to the John Muir Way by taking a right after the first few fields and going along the Balgone Pond. I wasn't sure if there would be any damselflies (there weren't) and hoped there might be butterflies (there were).

Pond below the Law

JMW

ran past these world famous runners

blue skies and red berries; what could be better?

just after these fields we turned right into Balgone estate

cyggie stardust
I think that was the reflection off my camera.

We stopped and walked for a bit - looking at the hedge and riverside shrubs which were buzzing with insects enjoying the sun which was really blasting down. I was hoping there had to be butterflies about and sure enough there were at least 3 admirals feeding on the flowers. Mary was distracted by something else which gave me time to get a few photos. Neither of us felt like hurrying and it was bliss.

Mary pointed out a speckled which I chased for a while.

We opted not to do the second pond (it can be muddy) and climbed the hill round the other side of the first pond. Ran past the big house then rejoined the JMW heading towards stink farm. Then took the turn off to Newbyth Mansion. They have made a new gravel path through the field which I'll take next time but not knowing where it went we took the rutted path to the left of the mansionhouse then had a sports bar at Newbyth pond and picnic table before heading across the road to Binning Wood.

Most of the way through Newbyth Wood I stopped to make a speech about how, several years ago (Friday 10th July 2015 - just looked it up!) right at this point a speckled wood flew by my shoulder before landing on a leaf 12 feet up a tree. It was the first one I had ever noticed and as I gassed on to that effect one slid out the sky and landed on a leaf in the sun nearby. Possibly a descendent from that one way back then! Mary pointed it out and I stopped gabbing to take its photo. It was very obliging. And although it flew off a couple of times came straight back to the same area and landed nearby again. It was almost transparent with age. But otherwise in good nick. I took loads of pics said thanks and we ran on. Wiping away tears of nostalgia and dementia.

nearly transparent wings refracting blues and greens

Through the deer fence across the road and into Binning Wood. Hello Alastair and hello Moira two residents of the memorial woods. I trust you have introduced yourselves. The trees are lovely at this time of the year and I was only slightly miffed that the cloud cover was greatest for this small woody window. I had hoped the sun would be blasting down still and maybe encourage an appearance of a late comma or 2 (the first place I ever saw them: April 2016)

Binning Wood Speckled Wood

We crossed the woods in a rough diagonal to emerge at the North corner and cross the road to head into Harvest Moon territories. Gravelly trails give way to dirt tracks through the trees and a bit of mud on the floor. A straight line heads to the coast and we climb a dune to take photos of Bassington Rock and the long beach and Dunbar cement factory. We head to the nearest bridge across the Peffer Burn and follow the concrete road which Tam (Bides Here) built.

a red admiral welcome

the concrete road

As we stood here having a snack a car drew up and the driver and son explained (super friendly) they had mad dogs they were about to unleash from the back of the car. They would dash - we were told - up the road and back before resuming their dog walk. No explanation, they just always had done this. The boot was opened, 2 golden retrievers jumped out and ran off up the concrete at full gallop. After about 80 yards they turned and galloped back where they dialled it down and joined the 2 men for a more sedate walk. We were glad of the heads up and that we weren't 40 yards up the road at the boot opening.

It was diverting to notice all the veg in the fields. Initially it was carrots. Then there were 2 types of cabbage and sprouts. I had to resist the urge to collect a few for dinner. At the junction at Scoughall we chose to head up to the A198. This was mainly due to the dog that had attacked me running out the garden next to the stables (just before Seacliff) a while back. That road has never seemed as attractive since even though no blood was spilled.

By this point of the run we were too tired to engage rabid dogs so headed up to the main road hoping to remember a cross country route round the back of the Law. Ahh look a dude painting his shed he'll know. Actually he knew the area less well than myself and we walked off with less info than we arrived with and me grouching to Mary that he should get out walking his local fields and learn a few of the back roads round the place. Meanwhile we were on pavementless roads and traffic was whizzing by. We walked into the nearest field and followed the edge until we got to the pavement at Auldhame.

small white butterfly in centre of this field of sprouts

What we should have done was taken a left through the next field where a line of telephone poles heads to the road end a field's length away and followed that back towards the Law. I couldn't be sure though so to avoid farmdogs and shotgun enquires we just followed the A198 to Auldhame then past Tam Bides Here and straight on at the junction then back into NB past Tescos and back round the base of the Law. It's a pity about this last handful of miles which are less beautiful than all the previous. I must finesse this, missing the tarmac and going cross country. A good reason to go back soon.