When I first considered sharing these walks here, I held back for months as it felt too personal – which seems silly, I know, as it’s my blog so why shouldn’t the content be personal? But after years of blogging about design, it seemed strange to share these moments from our lives. And now, within a few months, it feels instinctive. Like the most natural thing to do. Even if I’m aware that most people who land on this site, having followed a link from somewhere, are looking for design-related content. Hopefully, in time, that will change.
So, on that note, I wanted to share this walk from Sunday at Yellowcraig.
It was a hot weekend here as while it was very warm outside, it was absolutely roasting indoors (the downside of a glazed roof) so we were stuck: we couldn’t go out with the lads because it was too warm to walk with them, but it was so hot inside (sitting in the mid-30s through both Saturday and Sunday afternoons) that our days became about trying to keep ourselves and the lads cool. By the time we headed out in the evenings we were all tired from the heat, but then on Sunday night, walking through the woods at Yellowcraig and across the grassland and then down through the dunes to the beach, it felt… incredible, frankly. Still warm, but with enough of a breeze to feel refreshing.
And it was quiet. There were quite a few people camping on the first section of the beach, looking towards Fidra, but our route took us further along the beach where there was no one around.
I’m a beachcomber. Somewhere between childhood and adulthood, I lost this habit completely, and I only discovered it again thanks to our walks with Harris (above) and Bracken (below). These lads have been beach pups since their youth, and watching them sniff and explore and discover on each and every beach walk somehow encouraged me to look and see. The pebbles and shells and seaweed and driftwood and textures, all these things that are easy to walk past, but it took exploring with the lads to make me notice all of this again. And now, this is my favourite thing to do: walk along the beach, searching for things to photograph, picking up the occasional pebble or shell or feather that catches my eye.
And on Sunday someone else clearly had the same idea as I came across this pebble, shell and feather ‘star’ on the beach.
Richard had also picked up this habit yesterday, only he was searching for twigs to use as stakes for the peas he’s planted on the allotment. We walked to the far end of the beach, pausing at the rocks, before making our way back as the light was changing with gentle pink and lilac hues streaking through the sky, and with a soft glow of lilac hovering low over the Fife coastline. After a too-hot day indoors, this felt wonderful; the cool hues and the calm lapping of the water settling our minds.
Oh and yes, Bracken had indeed been digging in the sand. He may not look it here, but this is his happy place.
Yellowcraig, East Lothian.
