north berwick circuit

 

5th March

The last long run reminded me I had forgotten much of the medium to long runs I used to do regularly in East Lothian. So I decided next decent weather day to revisit the NB Circuit: 18 miles of very scenic mixed trail and John Muir Way running. And when I say running I mean quite a lot of walking or jogging with the large camera and many stops to examine roadside beauties. A long, slow and very enjoyable day out.

I had last planned to do this circuit with Alan, but covid or work or something got in the way. I was tempted to invite him along on this occasion as he was unfamiliar with the route and keen to find pastures new to train for various horribly extended run-till-you-drop-dead events. But I decided against it on this occasion as there was likely to be too much dawdling and dicking about. Maybe next time Alan. 

steaming pile of doo-doo

ahh the wonders of the countryside

I got off the North Berwick train mid-morning and set off up the road to the Law. From there I followed the John Muir Way to Balgone Estate and turned right along the trail past the curling ponds, turning left up the hill after the first one. I walked the shore of the first one as it was pretty much ideal conditions for butterflies and I more than half expected to find a peacock or admiral sunning itself on the glossy leaves next to the riverside trail. But no, no butterflies. A few ducks and swans on the pond and a few robins and dunnocks about the bushes.

tufted ducks

These rather poor photos are the only evidence of this male tufty swimming on its back and kicking its legs up like a loony tunes cartoon. It was quite a distance away and the camera was struggling to get a decent likeness. I have never seen ducks doing backstroke and it was very curious!

up the hill on the other side of the ponds and along past the big house

buzzard with catch

I was passing the view of the Balgone / Sheriffhall airstrip at just the right moment. The airstrip is not much more than a fairly level length of grass in a field of crops with a shed at one end. However there was a small aircraft pointing down the runway and as I took a photo or 2 it revved up and then started down the strip. It was into the air in less than 80 yards and flew up and over as I video-ed it. I was able to google the letters on the side to get the following info. It is a Denney Kitfox Mk 2 built in 2002, microlight class. Bruce (who has connections with East Fortune Airfield and knows everyone in East Lothian) said it was flown by Gordon. 

Just round the next corner I bumped into Craig. He had already run something like marathon distance and was heading back to North Berwick. He looked far too chipper to have been out since the crack of dawn knocking out huge mileage. He is training for The Fling and the West Highland Way races. I felt like a complete slacker by comparison.

Newbyth House

I was back onto the John Muir Way but turned off before Stink Farm, to head towards Newbyth House, the castle-like mansion-house visible through the trees. A new throughway of gravel and compressed dirt track has appeared making a really nice walk past the house on the South side. Ages ago we used to follow the rutted muddy tracks on the North and then we tried a few times to pass through the field on the South but round the far edge which once resulted in me soaking Mary's feet as we stumbled and tripped over very rough ground. So this new path - you can't miss it - is a very welcome improvement.

These look like female house sparrows though I am not entirely sure, which made me realise we just don't get the same amount of sparrows we used to. The RSPB site says house sparrows are on the red endangered species list although Scottish numbers are better than English.

I have been told (by Brian in comments) they are linnets. Not a bird I see often, the males are supposed to have an attractive red forehead and breast.

chaffinch

greylag geese

new path goes past this side of Newbyth House

I saw a pied wagtail strutting about on the turret (3rd from left) and zoomed in to get a photo. It shows the power of the zoom on my camera that it got a reasonable photo from such a distance, standing at the same place I took the previous (above) photo.

greylags on the pond

Across the road from Newbyth woods and into Binning Wood. I had hoped to visit an area I had been before and found comma butterflies. I started off going in the same direction but halfway through the woods on smaller paths my way was blocked by fallen trees. I think they were probably downed in Storm Arwen. I did a bit of climbing over trunks and round branches and then gave up and looked for the easiest way round the devastation. I was not the first and you could tell from footprints that dogwalkers and visitors have been working out the best routes post Arwen.

I was a bit disappointed by the bird spotting opportunities here. I felt there were plenty birds but they were just keeping their distance. I stalked/chased a woodpecker for a bit but it got wind of me and flew off a couple of times. No photos. There were the usual gangs of long tailed tits but little joy there as they kept flitting about. Some coal tits, great tits and blue tits cheered me up slightly but all were flighty as anything and there was little sign of anything more exotic; although I suspect all manner of things (nuthatches, treecreepers, jays, owls and woodpeckers) would be hiding in the trees. It was too cold (dressed only in running kit) to hang about for long.

Across the road and up the road to Loch Houses. The trails through the woods were very soggy and I struggled to keep feet dry. I didn't go up to the Log Cabin but headed over to the dunes above Tyninghame beach as soon as possible.

Always great views above the beach.
Looking East to St Baldreds and West to the Bass Rock and Seacliff

I was interested to find what the Peffer Burn has been up to since I was last here a couple of years ago. I was wondering why I had left it so long before returning and then remembered, ahh yes! LOCKDOWN and we weren't allowed to travel. We all got out of the habit of catching trains and buses to places. And what had become regular haunts, were swapped for more local routes. Anyway the burn was now winding in a well established long coil round the estuary sands. A few seabirds were enjoying the sand and shallow water including a little egret. I tried to approach it with maximum stealth but it saw me and moved further away. 

spoilsport

Nice to see a couple of goldcrests in the trees near the first bridge over the burn. Again they were very jumpy and cautious of my presence. I stood here cooling for 10 minutes waiting on them showing themselves but was not rewarded with much. The photos were not coming easy today.

now that makes a better subject!

there are always pigeons on the roof of this building

To avoid the concrete road up to Seacliff (and a rabid black lab on a gateless garden that is hopefully dead by now (2 years is 14 dog years)) I went inland to meet the A198 and run the edges of the fields for a mile or more from Newmains cottages to Auldhame. The last few miles really detract from the otherwise brilliant NB Circuit, and I must find a better path back to NB station. There is bound to be an offroad path along through the fields.

yellowhammer in hedgerow

I really hope Tam still bides here
Just checked up on a previous blog from 2015 and he was 81 then!

Around this point a huge fly flew right into my eye and I had to call 911 and have a surgical team scrambled. After a few minutes poking my large dirty finger in my eye I eventually had the satisfaction of getting this corpse out. Man that hurt! Second time recently that large tears rolled out my eye. The first was while I was cheating on my barber, but they were not the emotional tears you might be imagining. Why was I cheating on Ivor? He does great work and is always super-chatty. Trouble is he is always busy and sometimes I just have a free 30mins to run round to Easter Road where the Kings Barber shop nearly always has a free chair and no queues or appointments necessary. And they're cheaper. I have to make an appointment for Ivor and that can take 2~3 days.

Anyway they both offer slightly different approaches to long hair that grows in places not required. Ivor lights a petrol soaked rag and pats my ears with it. This has lots of potential for accidents but so far, so good, he has only removed unwanted ear hairs. This service is not offered in Kings but they did ask a couple of visits ago if I would like a wax nose. I was feeling bold and acquiesced. Warm wax on cottonbuds jammed lightly into my nostrils and left 2 mins to cool. I braced myself for extreme pain but the swift removal was hardly noticeable. So this time the younger apprentice asked Wax Nose? and I breezily said thanks. It just goes to show, never be complacent. I think due to inexperience he might have overloaded the hot wax or put the implements too far into my nose. Then he removed them slowly! Or rather, not quickly enough. One remained and he had to tug it several times, by which time I was in excruciating agonies. My eyes filled and tears wobbled out as he yanked yanked yanked the fucker out my nose. Which now felt as if it had been resurfaced with a blow torch. The difference between this and the previous time which had been done with consummate skill and next to no pain was a lesson learned and I will never again allow the apprentice anywhere near my scalped nostrils which still feel weird 10 days later.

beautiful hand painted sign!

grumpy dunnock

I took a photo of this because it irritates me when people use a monarch butterfly graphic as an icon or logo in the UK. (You'd be surprised how often this happens - maybe not if you are a regular here - prob due to our influence from North American software icons.) I was going to get in touch with the caravan site to offer to produce a UK-typical butterfly in place of a species you will never see here. However it seems like a fairly lowbrow caravan park and none of their website feedback stuff has a "complain about the fine tuning of something we have no interest in" message box. I'd be quicker just taking along a pic of a red admiral and pasting it over the monarch without explanation. I'd like to think I had the stamina to actuate that but we both know it lives at the end of a long list of things that will only happen in Idealized world. With a North American zee. 

Coming back through NB things were looking good in the sunlight. I knew the train was at 15.52 and had run the last 3 miles of tarmac at a brisk lick to arrive in plenty time. The next being an hour of waiting later. I had an extra 10 mins so doubled into town to get some fluids at the coop as I was feathery dry. On the way I bumped in the Kemp family. I had been thinking about them as they live about 47 seconds from the station. We just had time for a formal photo and lots of shouted chat at great speed and a bit of we must meet up soon. Even so, I had blown the drinks money on chat and had to run to the station without refreshments. I did not resent this (that much!) as the Kemps are top quality and it was lovely to see them by accident. And worth missing a big thirsty drink for. Anyday!

formal family photo!

I made the train in good time. It then sat in the station for 29 minutes while something was removed from the line further down the track. However not even that could spoil what was a very fine day out doing a circuit I really enjoy. If anyone has a good offroad route recommendation to go from Peffer Burn to NB Station I'd be much obliged to hear it. I'm sure such a thing exists and it would make the circuit much better as the last 4 or 5 miles of tarmac are a bit of a grind. Other than that, fab day out and I'll be back doing it again soon.