by MrsOrr » Thu May 12, 2016 10:58 pm
Date walked: 12/05/2016
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Hi all, I'm listed as new but I've been here before under another username with a long defunct email and forgotten password so have created a new account for my re-entry to the walking world. A lot of things have happened since my last posts, not least of all remarrying! Anyway back to the important subject. A change of jobs and family circumstances had greatly reduced my time walking so I have become really unfit. Well no more! Today is the "rebeginning".....
Bought a book for 10p from local library (selling books no longer needed) about walks in the Edinburgh area. This one appealed as it was flat(ish), not too far away (1hour) and in a place I thought might be interesting.
A beautiful day dawned and after parking at Linlithgow Castle we followed the directions in the book. The walk started proper at the Union canal basin. This part of the walk followed the canal as far as the aqueduct which is also part of the John Muir Way. Another change over the last couple of years is the development of a fear of heights (!) so I didn't venture over the aqueduct. Retracing a few steps to a stairway down to the River Avon Heritage trail.
It was cooler beside the river Avon and we found a lovely spot to lunch. Some benches are provided along the way but not many. As a newbie to bird-watching we could hear many birds in the trees but didn't see many. The lovely walk through the woods led us under a railway viaduct and onto residential streets. This is where things went a little awry as new houses have been built since the book was published in 2006. Using the nearby M9 as our guide for the map in the book we found our way through the new houses and to the path that goes around Linlithgow Loch. It was a gorgeous but windy day and we decided not to go around the full loch but take the shorter route to the castle and finished the walk there.
The walk was almost 6miles and we finished off by visiting St Michael's church next to the castle and a wee stroll around Linlithgow, a lovely town.
After driving home and having dinner I was suddenly exhausted and slept for an hour! My first walk for a while will not be my last and I will get fitter.
