Highland Stac Pollaidh

part of a nature reserve. landscaped and now form Lagoons, which have been Musselburgh’s fantastic Ash lous murals. It also passes Prestonpans and its marvel - section of the route to visit this delightful walk uses a the coast from Fisherrow and The John Muir Way runs along herring in the Firth of Forth. of around 30 boats caught mid-19th century when a fleet was at its busiest during the was built in 1850. The port century – the present harbour Firth of Forth since the 16th been a small port on the been a small port on the Fisherrow where there has metres km 20 0 40 0 60 0 0 0 of Musselburgh is At the western edge KEITH FERGUS CHOSEN BY... 25 u Distance: 7½ miles/12km u miles/12km 7½ Distance: 2 4 MUSSELBURGH & PRESTONPANS EAST LOTHIAN

6 Arthur’s Seat and Edinburgh Arthur’s track bears R into Levenhall alongside sea wall. Eventually veers R above Fisherrow Sands Muir Way sign. Follow this as it bear L onto track beside John barrier, walk along path then Goosegreen Place. Go round a Crescent, follow riverbank onto 2 1 Street. footbridge across river at New riverbank path, taking Turn R walk along lovely Terrace continue to River Esk. path. After crossing Mountjoy Fisherrow onto Sands parkland seafront promenade above which heads east along the turn R onto John Muir Way, GR ADIENT PROFILE Facing Fisherrow Harbour Start Turn L onto Goosegreen 1 mile/1.5km Time: 3 hours u 3 hours Time:

8 from Musselburgh.

10 Grade: Moderate Grade:

KEITH FERGUS KEITH PHOTO: turn R then L to B1348. road to gate. Once through, path. This runs alongside park grassland. Beyond gate L onto Links and crosses area of 14 & 351; Landranger 66 Maps OS Explorer 350 to Musselburgh. (no. N30) from Edinburgh frequent trains and buses Public Street, Musselburgh Public Musselburgh, 0131 6659654 Refreshments Staggs Bar, Nearest town Musselburgh PLANNING Stiles None for all walkers paths and tracks. Suitable coastal and parkland Is it for me? Pavement, parking at the harbour. NT335729. There is Harbour grid ref Start/parking Fisherrow ROUTE PLAN YOUR WALK YOUR PLAN transport There are toilets Shorthope 16 18

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ON PAGE 40 continental plates collided, mountains when two upwards into a chain of seaboard was crumpled Later, the north western about 1000 million years ago. bedrock of ancient gneiss, laid in a thick layer on a red Torridonian sandstone was a steep hill. The mountain’s Norse word meaning “stakkr” the pooling river”, from the ‘Stack Polly’) means “stack of Isles. Its name (pronounced to the breathtaking Summer Stac Pollaidh lies on the road North West Highland Geopark, spectacular landscape of the dramatically from the FEATURE metres km 20 0 40 0 60 0 0 0 mountains rearing One of several iconic RUTH LUCKHURST CHOSEN BY... 26 u Distance: 3 miles/5km u 3 miles/5km Distance: 2 4 STAC POLLAIDH HIGHLAND 6 and a head for heights! cruncher that demands agility be fooled: it’s a real knee- like a short stroll, but don’t Ice Age. On the map it looks sculpted by glaciers during the scree on plunging slopes shattered sandstone lying as gullies through the debris of storms have ploughed deep still continues today. Winter pinnacles, a process that towering buttresses and Pollaidh’s rocky spine into since then have carved Stac years of freezing and thawing together. Almost 500 million Scotland and England to the south east, welding some considerable distance 1 GR ADIENT PROFILE From car park cross road to Start Time: 2½ hours u hours 2½ Time:

8 from Drumrunie. Stac Pollaidh Stac Pollaidh 10 Grade: Moderate Grade:

RUTH LUCKHURST RUTH PHOTO: ivy and dotted with fungi, their through trees clad in moss and Boulder steps climb steeply Pollaidh directly ahead. gate in deer fence, with Stac woodland, going through tall follow path into birch 14 ROUTE Landranger 15 Maps OS Explorer 439, Achiltibuie 811 from Ullapool to Public Crag & Achiltibuie Public Altandhu, Polglass seasonal in Achiltibuie, Refreshments in Ullapool, Nearest PLANNING Stiles None ascent and descent slippery; steps, steep rocky path, may be Is it for me? Rugged, grid ref NC107095 Pollaidh car park, Start/parking Stac PLAN YOUR WALK YOUR PLAN transport Scotbus toilets at Knockan 16 town Ullapool 18

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IN ASSOCIATION WITH OS MAPS OS lfto.com/cwroutes GET THIS WALK ON YOUR PHONE: path, walk through scrubby scrubby through walk path, beside junction to grassland of ash embankment steep along L, walk mound. Turn L of embankment, to track views stunning enjoying Keep Edinburgh. towards crossroads then R at fork L at track outward-bound back to Esk. Retrace mouth of River at Goosegreen back to steps Esk River and over Place Harbour. Fisherrow to 3

5 6¼ miles/10.25km Levenhall During 1960’s Haven, which used to be one which used to Haven, of Scotland’s main ports; today main ports; today of Scotland’s pipit, seals and meadow regularly are goldeneye information after Just spotted. which path, bear L onto board R, walk B1348. Turn to returns and back into along pavement gate next Links. At Levenhall of area on, cross go straight skirting with path grassland, to track Cross woodland. ash lagoon. first reach 5 Links was a disposal ground a disposal ground Links was Power Cockenzie ash from for home to but is now Station and tufted redshank skylark, along lagoon’s duck. Walk R to veering southern edge, bear L onto through Once gate. Buy maps at: ordnancesurvey.co.uk/shop

MUSSELBURGH & PRESTONPANS MUSSELBURGH EAST LOTHIAN EAST START 3½ miles/6km through steps Retrace Follow the pavement past the pavement Follow 2½ miles/4km 1 OS Explorer map 350 & 351 u Prestonpans and just after after and just Prestonpans North, turn R onto Inchview path Follow John Muir Way. parkland of Morrison’s through 3 4 entrance of Prestongrange of Prestongrange entrance worth is well Museum (which of town attractive a visit) into a good spot for Prestonpans, a break and where many fine many and where a break This can be viewed. murals of Battle includes the famous place which took Prestonpans, salt panning and in 1745, here in industries mining (both key of town), early development people such as and famous Robert Scott, Sir Walter Burns and John Muir. u 25

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IN ASSOCIATION WITH OS MAPS OS lfto.com/cwroutes GET THIS WALK ON YOUR PHONE:

with cobbles on the steeper on the steeper with cobbles the deer Reaching corners. the at the birches above fence your retrace of the walk, start the car park. to steps 3 START

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HIGH ROUTE HIGH ALTERNATIVE ALTERNATIVE suited to deer and climbers. to suited has its path lower The but moments, adventurous The exposed. it is less overall flank on the eastern rejoin two heads south the route before again. On this northern side of the mountain there are are there of the mountain the over views far-reaching lochs and knolls of the and lochan’ ‘cnoc distinctive landscape of the ancient turning After gneiss. Lewisian sandy becomes south the path gently, more and descends Buy maps at: ordnancesurvey.co.uk/shop

HIGHLAND POLLAIDH STAC 1½ miles/2.5km side of the On the far ⅛ mile/0.25km After woodland the path woodland After OS Explorer map 439 u u roots nestling in heather and in heather nestling roots bracken. 2 3 to follow path heading for path follow to – flank of mountain western first, at and cobbles steps steep a sandy path, to flattening later climbs Path boggy in places. the debris of ancient through – piles of fallen rockfalls large), very (some boulders smooth, eroded themselves seamed along the original with lichens. crusted strata, – Some – conglomerates forks to separate gates in gates separate to forks L Fork another deer fence. pebbles of older rocks have embedded in the sandstone. crenellated Pollaidh’s Stac the skyline spine serrates Lugainn Loch below, above; can see as you as far stretches pooling in both directions, of the the foot around climbs path The mountain. and steepens scree through the again as it approaches Terraces buttresses. rocky visible now are strata) (eroded cliffs, above in the towering a boulder field of shattered more climb, pinnacles. As you view, into hills come distant beyond and the sea appears them. mountain the path splits. The splits. The the path mountain a great gives upper path close-up of the spectacular but is best formations, rock 26

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