Finally a nice sunny evening after work! I had a few Edinburgh walks planned and it was time to knock one off the list. I've been commuting by bus recently on the weekly Fife Megarider Plus ticket and one advantage is I can nip over to the capital as part of the deal. It's just a 15-minute walk to the bus stop from my workplace and downhill all the way. After arriving in Edinburgh, I had a seat in Princes Street Gardens and decided to do the Queen's Drive circuit around Holyrood Park. My water bottle was empty and I googled for a refill station. It turned out there was one inside Waverley Station at the entrance to the toilets, which incidentally are now free (as they should be).
I strolled down the Royal Mile and had a look at the Scottish Parliament building. There was a protest camp set up to campaign against climate change. You certainly can't deny the science. If we could all change our ways a little it would cumulatively add up to a critical mass. Across the road is Holyrood Palace, official residence of the Queen when she is on royal duties in Scotland. I've never done an actual tour of the palace but did once attend a special exhibition of Faberge Eggs. I skirted by the protesters and picked up Queen's Drive in the clockwise direction. There is a pavement all the way round and basically you hug the lower slopes of Salisbury Crags and Arthur's Seat - the extinct volcano that dominates the city skyline from afar. I have climbed to the peak on a few occasions. The ruin of St Anthony's Chapel soon appeared on my right and I hiked up the footpath for a closer inspection.
Little is known about the origins and demise of the religious structure but it is reckoned to have fallen into disuse around 1560. The chapel sits on a rocky outcrop and there are fine views down to St Margaret's Loch, the first of three bodies of water I would encounter. I had sufficient elevation to see all the way across north Edinburgh to the Firth of Forth. I picked my way down to the loch and continued along the road, steadily regaining height as I approached Dunsapie Loch. This part of the route is closed to regular vehicles which made for a pleasant traffic-free walk. There were many runners and cyclists out training on the challenging gradient. I had planned to make one deviation from the circular route, a visit to Dr Neil's Garden, nestled on the shores of Duddingston Loch in the urban village of the same name. This involved descending a long flight of steps but it was worth the effort to emerge in the tranquil surroundings of the garden. There is ample bench seating and it would be the ideal place to go for some quiet and peaceful reflection. I spent half an hour here stretching my legs and gathering my thoughts. Ok, so I probably checked Facebook as well. Also in the village is the Sheep Heid Inn, reckoned to be one of Edinburgh's oldest surviving watering holes. Climbing back up the stairway was stamina sapping but I was rewarded with great views of the loch below, which also functions as a nature reserve.
Eventually I began to descend towards my starting point. I jumped off a little early at Holyrood Road to walk past Moray House College where I trained as a secondary school teacher in 1996. I re-emerged on the Royal Mile and made my way back to the bus station. As Sod's Law would have it, a Fife-bound bus had just departed and the next wasn't due for an hour. I wandered over to a nearby Sainsburys and grabbed myself a snack. When I came out, the rain was positively belting down. You certainly take the rough with the smooth when out and about in Scotland. At least I didn't get a soaking up on Salisbury Crags. I decided to repeat my evening excursion to Edinburgh a week or so later when I combined a city walk with a visit to the German meetup. I have been a member of the German group since 2006 and it meets monthly in a pub. The venue this time was the Fountain Bar and that tied in nicely with a wander through Morningside and a hike up Blackford Hill. I had agreed to host the meetup which entails being there at the start to welcome people and collect the £1 donations. I calculated that although I wouldn't be pressed for time, I couldn't afford to needlessly dawdle. I headed up to Tollcross, past my old haunts of the Cameo Cinema and Cloisters Bar. The Cameo dates from 1914 and is worth visiting for the architecture in the main auditorium alone. Caryatids form the supports and there are big comfy chairs. The modern capacity is 400 but was apparently more than double this figure back in the day. I guess they packed 'em in. People were probably a bit skinnier as well. There is also a licensed bar and you are welcome to take your drinks into the theatre. A successful campaign in 2006 prevented new owners from converting the historic cinema into a bar/restaurant with just the smaller screens remaining. Fortunately the council sided with the protesters and the building has now been upgraded to B-listed status, protecting it from further proposed acts of vandalism. How shocking that such a culturally iconic picture house (Scotland's oldest in continuous use) could be threatened in this way. I personally think it's important to support these institutions. Watch a film or simply drop into the bar, which can be accessed from inside and outside the cinema.
I didn't have time to pop into Cloisters for a pint. Formerly a Parsonage, the pub is a ale haven and a no-frills environment. Stand at the bar or sit on the benches to sup your pint. With nine cask pumps and ten artisan keg taps, there is something for all discerning beer drinkers. I love traditional cask but have nothing against the new-fangled craft scene. Anything that pulls people away from mass produced lager is alright in my book. Not everyone sees it that way of course but they fail to consider that today's 24-year-old craft freak might one day be a middle-aged traditional beer enthusiast. I walked through the district of Bruntsfield - home of the excellent Chocolate Tree - then into Morningside with its good range of shops. I popped into Waitrose in search of a bite to eat and found a big sushi set in the reduced section. Perfect! The supermarket had tables for consuming snacks but it was glorious outside and I found a handy wall across from the Dominion Cinema - a long standing independent picture house that I've never visited. Must change that one day. I reflected that although my job might give me hassle at times, I do often have the opportunity to be out enjoying myself when other commuters haven't even started the journey home. I pressed on and ambled through the decaying "Wild West Town" in an alleyway just off the main drag. Apparently this was opened as a tourist attraction in the 90s but flopped. The row of buildings has a fading frontage denoting the saloon, jail, horse trader etc. A curio worth investigating if you happen to be passing.
As I left Morningside, I passed over the railway tracks wondering why the Edinburgh suburban route has never been reopened. The rails are still used for freight movements and occasional diversions and it seems unbelievable the capital city does not make use of this transport corridor. In modern parlance it could be termed the proverbial no-brainer! I arrived at the Hermitage of Braid nature reserve which encircles Blackford Hill. I followed the burn to the original estate house which now functions as a visitors centre. Just beyond lay the remains of the ice house. I must admit I do have a thing for those primitive freezers from a bygone age and there are quite a few dotted around the country, usually in varying states of repair. I navigated my way up the hill and the tall transmitter mast made the target obvious. There were quite a few people at the summit and it's obviously a popular spot. The Royal Observatory building is close at hand and the views across the city were fabulous.
I could see in all directions and spent a while taking it all in (as well as getting my breath back). Although I'm reasonably fit for my age, a short sharp climb still takes it out of you if you aren't used to it. Still, the only way to remedy that is to actually go out and do it. I was keeping an eye on the clock as I had to be at the Fountain Bar for 7.30, although no doubt Texan Dave and his German wife would be there super early. I descended the staircase but took a more direct route towards Morningside. I had considered walking around Blackford Pond but time didn't permit. In any case, I later read it was a man-made creation, so no great loss. I briskly retraced my steps and looked for a street named Viewforth which would take me across the Union Canal to my destination district of Fountainbridge. The canal terminates here at Lochrin Basin and the view from the road bridge revealed a colourful array of barges. I have been walking the Scottish Canal network from west to east and will one day finish my towpath trail here. The Union waterway branches off the original Forth & Clyde Canal at the Falkirk Wheel.
I arrived at the Fountain Leisure Park which I used to visit regularly. I had an unlimited pass for the cinema, the type of deal where you pay a monthly fee and only have to go two or three times to make it worthwhile. The 13-screen venue always showed a wide variety of films and I loved slipping into the anonymity after a hard week's work, treating myself to a takeaway, watching a couple of movies over the same evening and enjoying a pint afterwards. McCowan's Brewhouse was and still is next door to the cinema. The Golden Rule, a Good Beer Guide regular, is tucked away around the corner. The Caledonian Sample Room stands just along the road, as does the old school 80-shilling haven the Athletic Arms (popularly known as Diggers). There were also several great ale options on the walk back to Haymarket Station. Much simpler times, but my present life is ultimately more fulfilling. My meetup destination tonight was the Fountain Bar, previously a working-man's type boozer with a dartboard but only bland keg beer. Friendly enough though. Today it has been redeveloped into a real-ale specialist pub and restaurant. Personally I'm not complaining as it's another great drinking establishment but I do wonder if a certain sector of the population feel their traditional watering holes are being taken away from them. A similar fate befell the Auld Clachan along the road which has also been reinvented as a cask-ale paradise aimed at white-collar workers and now trading as Lock 25. But it's all governed by supply and demand and I personally think the smoking ban - while in my eyes welcome - did hit the old man's style of hostelry pretty hard. Then again, basic boozers were at one time large-scale purveyors of unpasteurised ale. Things change, you can only run with it. David and Brigitta (now sadly deceased) were indeed present at the meetup when I arrived. Several new faces mingled with regulars. Most enjoyable.
Comments