2nd June Hailes Castle cycle

Saturday was mostly lazy. In the evening I got my act together and went for a cycle to Hailes Castle and Haddington. This is the falcon outside the curtain wall.

The castle dates back to the 13th Centuary when the Northumbrian family Gourlay built most of what's seen in the next pic.

Soon after the Gourlays ended up on the wrong side during the wars of independence (easy mistake to make) and at the same time Adam Hepburn saved the Earl of Dunbar from a "savage horse" and so the Hepburns had a new home.  By the 15th Centuary the Hepburns had added to the castle and repelled two attacks by Henry "Hotspur" Percy. See Henry IV part one ( W. Shakespeare). In 1446 Archiebald Dunbar took the castle and, as was done in those times, killed everyone inside. This was the beginning of the end as weapons and siege tactics advanced. Hailes was in a valley and was vulnerable.

In 1548 the English took the castle and tried to force Mary Queen of Scots to marry Henry VIII's son. No chance! 20 years later Mary was staying here before marrying the 'purple ape' James Hepburn, Earl of Bothwell - the Dauphin was dead, Rizzio was stabbed by Darnley, and Darnley was blown up by Bothwell- who was born at Hailes.

1650 and like in much of Ireland, the English hero Cromwell invaded, slaughtered, destroyed and generally upset the locals. By the 1700s the castle was used as farm buildings.

Now its silent, gently cared for, and the history is open for everyone.

After Hailes I carried on past Stevenson to Abbey Mill at Haddington. Lovely woodland canopy with all the song birds in full voice.

At Abbey Mill there were swans and swallows on the river. There must have been lots of insects for the swallows to be feeding but there were no trout rising.

After Abbey Mill I climbed back up to the old A1 and started the slog back up Pencraig. There was a slight easterly on the nose so it was work all the way. The next pic is from the top with Dunbar 6.5 miles in the distance.

An unexpected couple of hours and 22 miles added to the weeks total.  A fine way to spend the evening.

A busy week

Its been a very busy week at work but I've managed to get out and about in the evenings. Last weeks hot weather broke and the rain came along with cool easterly winds.  I was out for a pedal on Wednesday night and wore my Altura night vision jacket without overheating.

I cycled out to East Linton then back along to Preston Mill for the obligatory pic. The roads were quiet and I really enjoyed the ride. Just the hiss of the tyres in the rain for 15 miles.

Thursday was still cold and damp.  I was asked to be a casualty for a lifeboat training exercise so headed out of the harbour with Stuart on the Ambition. This is the Harbour Master's wee office.

We tacked backwards and forwards for a while until the inshore boat turned up. I complained of hitting my head and so had to be treated as a possible spinal injury. This meant I could lie on one of the bunks until we were towed back to harbour.

Alan seems happy about something. Ross usually looks happier than this.

Jamie always looks like this.

 Good fun.

Sun 27th Out on the road today, I saw a dead..toad

(Apologies to Mr Henley)

Yesterday (Saturday) I pitched in with a few friends to help Jamie and Laura move home. It was one of the hottest days of the year so far and their temporary home is five floors up the steepest stair in Dunbar. So that was fun!

In the afternoon E's brother Daniel, and his wife Melody, visited. It was a lazy afternoon in the sun.

Overnight a haar had rolled in. An early start and the lower temperature made for an easy morning pedal. Then out on the White Sands road I saw a dead toad.

Poor wee soul. The road was mostly empty but the air was full of skylarks.

Down at the lighthouse the haar was blowing in and out. I caught this pic of the light tower, a few seconds later it disappeared in the sea fog.

Common Scurvy-grass. Much loved by sailors only a hundred odd years ago for its vitamin C. Like the Ramsons (wild garlic) a couple of weeks ago, I have to try some. Some folks complain it's too sharp but I find the leaves quite peppery and pleasant in small quantities.

The west quarry has been left to the wild. Its about 150ft deep at the left side. I watched sandmartins nesting and a flapping heron wake the drowsy water rats (apologies to WB Yeats).

I headed back to the shops for some coffee. Having a retro bike I took the chance of a retro pic. The phone still works but the elder tree growing inside hints at its lack of use. I should get the number so folk can call it to see if anyone ever answers.

Went down to the Heron in the afternoon, but its getting late now, so I'll keep those pics for later this week.

Thurs 24th Evening Fishing

The good weather continues. On Thursday evening I rushed home from work, grabbed a fishing rod and went out on the Heron. 

It was a calm sea with no wind as I motored out a couple of miles to meet up with Stuart on the Ambition.

 

I got a cod but there was not much happening. Stuart had been out for a while and had eight cod. No sign of mackerel yet.

We went back towards Dunbar to try for pollock off the rocks but no luck. Then when we decided to head into the harbour Ambition's engine wouldn't start.  

Time for a tow.

A chilled out evening.

Gimme Shelter

When I was at Cockburnspath Tower I spotted an air raid shelter in the undergrowth. The iron work looked WWII with the wide corrugations typical of this time. The bricks were intact so I wasn't able to see the maker. 

There are still metal hinge pintels in the brickwork.

Couldn't find any info on the internet about the site so I tried the old way and asked a local.  I was told that these shelters were around the fields near Cockburnspath for the "Land Army" of farm workers.

They would have had little warning of fighter bombers coming in from the sea and there are few places to hide when you're ploughing a field.

There are two internal walls in the shelter which makes it look like a toilet, which might have been its other purpose. A toilet could have been useful if you were hiding in there whilst a Heinkel was dropping its load. 

Seventy years of weather is beginning to show.

Fields wouldn't have been a normal target for bombers but Cockburnspath sits at a natural choke point above a tight valley with the main road and rail line from Edinburgh to London in the valley.

An unexpected find and good to get some local info, even if it turns out to be nonsense.

May 20th Sunday Sail

Sunday morning and the forecast was for light North Easterlies with a 2.5ft swell, dropping away. After the poor weather that we've suffered in Dunbar over the last two months I grabbed the chance for a sail.

Six Dunbar yachts had headed for Anstruther on Saturday. Unfortunately I couldn't make the cruise due to other commitments but I was able to head out for to meet them on the way back. 

The harbour looking very empty and very calm.

Leaving Dunbar. It's an 'interesting' entrance to a harbour.

The Heron settled into a steady 3-4knts. After a couple of miles things got surreal when I spotted something in the water. I made a point of treating it as a 'man overboard' and managed to sail on to a bundle of balloons.

I picked them up on the lee side which isn't strictly correct but I was quite chuffed at managing to get them in the tide, wind and drift. No idea where they came from.

About five or six miles out I met with the Dunbar boats coming back. The heron tacked around and as usual everyone caught up with me and soon started to pass. The Ambition is fair fleeing along in the next pic although the lack of foresail and the outboard in the water is a bit of a giveaway. Stuart is grinning, Alan and Scott were asleep on board.

As the wind strengthened I powered it up a bit and got the Heron to lift her skirts.

Not the most efficient way to sail but its a lot of fun. 

I tried to get the toe rails in the water. I've done it before but an Alacrity is not really designed for this sort of sailing. If I played with the back stays to adjust the weather helm...hmm?

I was out for around three hours and enjoyed the space. When I motored back into the harbour I spotted a Fulmar hanging from one wing by a tangled fishing line. I couldn't take the Heron in close enough so after tying up I went back out in my dinghy with a knife taped to a boat hook. I managed to grab the poor bird, got my hands pecked, and cut away the line. The Fulmar was not particularly grateful but I got a wee cheer from the collected tourists at the harbour entrance. I enjoyed the sail but saving the Fulmar meant a lot more. I used to get that sort of satisfaction from my work..

Sat 19th May evening cycle

Scottish Cup Final today, Hearts gubbed Hibs. Fitted rear wheel, new brake levers, cables and taped the bars. Went out for a cycle in the evening sun.  The circus is in town so that means Dunbar has more clowns than normal.

 "Want a balloon?"

The Falcon rebuild is getting there. I can't justify the price of a Brooks saddle so a tan Charge Spoon will be the next order. The new back wheel made an incredible difference and the gearing is good too.