There was morning sunshine but heavy dew meant the tent was very wet
when I packed it away. My route continued along the railway cycle
track no 76 which was still a gravel surface but not as wet and
muddy as yesterday. I reached the Railway Station at Longniddry but
couldn’t see any obvious way to get across the live railway line to
the main road. I had to go back along a part gravel track to find
the underpass. On the main road I turned left then right along Lyars
Road to the coast.
Railway trail to the coast
It was here that I got my first smell of the wonderful sea air. I
reached Port Setton and followed the promenade path for a while
before returning to the main road. I stopped briefly at the
Co-Operative shop and bought some bread rolls. Further on I turned
left along the B6371 up to the roundabout where the battle of
Prestonpans was fought in 1745.
At the start of a minor road to the golf course was a cairn monument
to the battle. Down the lane I cycled into the sports club car park
then along a path to the pyramid monument which is a viewing point
for the battle. I was able to push my bike to the summit where there
were several information boards. I descended the pyramid by a
different path, re-joined the road and returned to the coast road. I
soon left the road to follow a rough path by the de-commissioned
Cockenzie Power Station.
Prestonpans pyramid summit
It used local coal for power generation from 1968 to 2013. The track
followed the coast for a while then back to the road then back to a
rough track along the coast. At one point I was following a rough
area that had no signs to say I was on the right track. I eventually
reached Musselburgh and was on familiar territory for a while.
Knitting in Musselburgh
Through Portobello the cycle way follows the promenade and I had to
use my bell a lot as there were lots of people about. Back on the
road I soon left it to follow the Restalrig Railway Path to Links
Garden Road and on to Ocean Drive towards my next objective, the
Royal Yacht Britannia moored in Leith Harbour.
Columns at Portobello
The 'Fingal' in dazzle colours, Leith
harbour.
As I rode to the Prince of Wales Dock I
was surprised to see a moored Dazzle Ship. Celebrating the ship’s
former role as a lighthouse tender (for over 30 years, the MV Fingal
worked to bring supplies to some of Scotland’s most remote
lighthouses)
Ex Royal Yacht Britannia
Artist Ciara Phillips used Morse code to encrypt a message in
reflective pigment along Fingal’s stern that reads “Every Woman a
Signal Tower”, although I couldn’t see it from my viewpoint. I
stopped to admire it and fortunately there were some information
boards. She was the ‘Fingal’ built in 1963. I continued to where the
Britannia is moored but the view from either side of the harbour is
restricted.
St Andrew’s House
The only way in now is as a paying visitor. I set off towards
Edinburgh along Sandport Place and over the River of Leith and
re-joined the Restalrig Railway Route and on to Lochend Park to
emerge at Meadowbank Sports Stadium.
Old photo of St Andrew’s House workers.
I continued to Regent Road Park where I stopped for a while as I had
plenty of time before my train was due to leave. It was nice and
sunny so enjoyed sitting on the grass with my bike. As I continued
to the station I stopped to look at the original St Andrew’s House
Scottish Government Building. Completed in 1939 it was a very dull
design.
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Whittle Wanderer
