musselburgh reclaimed

On Saturday Mary was still not over the cold and cough bugs she has had for a while now. Too much work and stress and not enough down time at the weekends. She suggested a run at Gullane but it seemed daft to drive all that way for a short run if we weren't going to swim afterwards. So we drove to Musselburgh. It is some time since we did the 5 miler round the lagoons and that seemed about right. It was pleasantly mild and the long grasses looked like they were going to take over after a summer of regular watering.

We parked at the quayside then ran along the coast, over the bridge and round the back of the lagoons. It struck me that given the exclusion zone on the 26th (midday) for the demolition of Cockenzie Power Station this might be a great place to set up a video camera to record the chimneys coming down. (I will probably be at the 2 Breweries and Mary is elsewhere but can lend equipment (cameras/tripods) if anyone wants to record it.)

We were enjoying the run so much that when we got to the usual turn around point Mary was happy to continue and extend the run, then come back round the other side of the lagoons which no longer seem to be lagoons. They appear to have been filled in, presumably with more ash from the power station, and are now like martian wastelands with the local vegetation just beginning to get a grip in the grey soil.

We then had a look at the ponds near the racecourse with a view to swimming. Difficult to know whether they are deep enough. Although parts were a bit clogged with algae and pondweed it looked possible although not as enticing as some other venues. On the upside, parking nearby and not unpleasant surroundings. I have heard they were tested as fit for swimming a while back.

Between the pond and the Esk the overgrown grasses and bushes in the bright weather were more wild looking than I had remembered and the place had more of the feel of an untamed moorland than just a couple of fields beside the racecourse. We both really enjoyed the run and there seemed to be plenty more paths for exploring if you were keen. On the way back to the car we couldn't resist a shot in the kids play area.