Strollers Walk No. 159, Wednesday 25 July 2012 - Cramond Brig to South Queensferry

Walk No. 159:    Cramond Brig to South Queensferry via Dalmeny Estate

Date:                  Wednesday 25 July 2012

Distance:            5 miles approx.

Start:                 Cramond Brig Hotel

Finish:               Hawes Inn, South Queensferry

On a beautiful bright and sunny day, 30 Strollers walked from Cramond Brig through the Dalmeny estate to South Queensferry.

The sky was blue, the views across the Forth were stunning and the deer were bounding around, all of which helped us to forget the rather muddy patches at some places along the way. Packed lunches were consumed sitting by the shoreline in front of Dalmeny House after which it was onwards to South Queensferry and "the bridges" where  Mr Wightman relived his recent abseil down the Railway Bridge.

After more chat everyone went their separate ways, some to partake of further refreshments, others  to the No 43 bus stop, while Mr & Mrs Sharp decided to walk all the way back again, albeit by the more direct route.

All in all, a very good walk.

Many thanks to Drew for organising this walk.

Outing - 12 July, Dumfries House in Cumnock, Ayrshire

It seems that this outing was a resounding success, in particular due to some excellent organisation by Moira Turner. 94 people set off in two coaches from Edinburgh. First stop was the Crown Hotel in Biggar, where the staff had prepared for our arrival with the cups, scones, jam, etc. all laid out ready to pour teas and coffees for such a large number of people.

Then it was on to Dumfries House itself, just as the sun came out to stay for the day. Splitting us into four tour groups, each with a specific tour time, was no simple task, but thanks to Moira's careful preparation and clear instructions it all went like clockwork, even bringing words of praise and thanks from the Dumfries House tour guide organiser.

High Tea was at the Fenwick Hotel, where the catering also went very well for such a large number of guests. afterwards everyone was eventually persuaded to get back on the coaches for the return trip to Edinburgh, despite being reluctant to leave such on such a pleasant sunny evening.

All round, it sounded like a great trip. Many thanks to Moira Turner and her willing helpers for such a carefully planned and executed day out. I'm sorry I missed it (away on holiday sailing in the good weather of the West Coast of Scotland).

Footnote (for those who missed the trip):

Dumfries House in Cumnock is the former home of the Marquis of Bute and was saved for the nation through the efforts of HRH The Duke of Rothesay (a.k.a. Prince Charles). The house contains a magnificent collection of original Chippendale furniture among many other artifacts, all of which were scheduled to be auctioned at Christie's in London before HRH intervened at the eleventh hour. 94 of our pensioners will now be recommending their friends to visit it!

Strollers walk No. 158, Tuesday 26 June 2012, Innerleithen to Walkerburn and back

Walk No. 158:   Innerleithen to Walkerburn and back to Innerleithen

Date:                Tuesday 26 June 2012

Meet:                Memorial Hall Car park, Leithen Road, Innerleithen

Time:                11:00

Led by:              Bob Foster

Well it's raining seriously now (7.30pm) but this morning and afternoon it stayed dry, sunny and bright for 33 of us to enjoy a walk from Innerleithen to Walkerburn along the banks of the River Tweed. After a lunch stop in Walkerburn, we headed up into Plora Wood for a high level walk back above the river valley, with some great views. We ended our walk back in Innerleithen  with the rain still holding off long enough for some to enjoy an ice cream. Many thanks to Bob Foster (for arranging the walk, not the ice-cream).


Hope to see you on next month's walk on Wednesday 25 July, from Cramond Brig through Dalmeny Estate to South Queensferry . Details will be out soon.

Outing - 13 June, Mellerstain House and Gardens, Berwickshire

Here is my summary of our outing to Mellerstain House and Gardens on 13 June:

We met in Edinburgh once a-gain,
To make our way to Mellerstain,
But on the pavement some had to wait,
'Cause a second bus was a wee bit late.

Then Moira, Liz and helpful Drew
Counted aboard the final few.
So off to Melrose we did run
For coffee, tea or sticky bun.


After a good walk round the town,
Back on the bus we all sat down
And off to find the mansion grand,
The weather cheered our merry band.


A house by Adam, with ceilings tall,
The rooms were many, we saw them all.
The gardens too were huge and fine,
But then we had to leave to dine.


At Lauderdale we now have eaten
A meal so good it can't be beaten.
Some words of thanks I have to make,
Then I'll sit down and eat more cake.


Liz booked a venue that couldn't be better,
Carole wrote you all an invitation letter,
Moira collects cheques and booking forms,
Sort out our mistakes - that's quite the norm.


The staff here have all done us proud,
We thank them now with applause out loud.
Stewart and Alec drive us round with care:
Late on the bus? We wouldn't dare!


So thanks to all for coming once more.
If you sleep on my bus then please don't snore.

For more details on Mellerstain House and Gardens, a fine 18th century stately home, designed by William and Robert Adam and one of Scotland's finest Georgian mansions, visit http://www.mellerstain.com/ where you can find a wealth of information.