Highland Stac Pollaidh
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EAST LOTHIAN HIGHLAND 25 MUSSELBURGH & PRESTONPANS 26 STAC POLLAIDH SCOTLAND SCOTLAND uDistance: 7½ miles/12km uTime: 3 hours uGrade: Moderate uDistance: 3 miles/5km uTime: 2½ hours uGrade: Moderate Arthur’s Seat and Edinburgh PLAN YOUR WALK Stac Pollaidh PLAN YOUR WALK from Musselburgh. from Drumrunie. FEATURE SEE ON PAGE 40 PHOTO: PHOTO: RUTHLUCKHURST KEITHFERGUS ROUTE ROUTE Start/parking Fisherrow Start/parking Stac Harbour grid ref Pollaidh car park, NT335729. There is grid ref NC107095 parking at the harbour. Is it for me? Rugged, CHOSEN BY... Start Is it for me? Pavement, CHOSEN BY... some considerable distance rocky path, may be coastal and parkland slippery; steps, steep KEITH FERGUS Facing Fisherrow Harbour RUTH LUCKHURST to the south east, welding 1 paths and tracks. Suitable ascent and descent At the western edge turn R onto John Muir Way, for all walkers One of several iconic Scotland and England Stiles None of Musselburgh is which heads east along the Stiles None mountains rearing together. Almost 500 million Fisherrow where there has seafront promenade above dramatically from the years of freezing and thawing PLANNING been a small port on the Fisherrow Sands onto parkland PLANNING spectacular landscape of the since then have carved Stac Nearest town Ullapool Firth of Forth since the 16th path. After crossing Mountjoy North West Highland Geopark, Pollaidh’s rocky spine into Refreshments in Ullapool, Nearest town Musselburgh century – the present harbour Terrace continue to River Esk. Stac Pollaidh lies on the road towering buttresses and seasonal in Achiltibuie, Refreshments Staggs Bar, Altandhu, Polglass was built in 1850. The port Turn R walk along lovely Musselburgh, 0131 6659654 to the breathtaking Summer pinnacles, a process that Public toilets at Knockan was at its busiest during the riverbank path, taking Public toilets Shorthope Isles. Its name (pronounced still continues today. Winter Crag & Achiltibuie mid-19th century when a fleet footbridge across river at New Street, Musselburgh ‘Stack Polly’) means “stack of storms have ploughed deep Public transport Scotbus of around 30 boats caught Street. Public transport There are the pooling river”, from the gullies through the debris of 811 from Ullapool to frequent trains and buses herring in the Firth of Forth. Norse word “stakkr” meaning shattered sandstone lying as Achiltibuie (no. N30) from Edinburgh Maps OS Explorer 439, The John Muir Way runs along 1 mile/1.5km a steep hill. The mountain’s scree on plunging slopes to Musselburgh. Landranger 15 the coast from Fisherrow and 2Turn L onto Goosegreen Maps OS Explorer 350 red Torridonian sandstone was sculpted by glaciers during the this delightful walk uses a Crescent, follow riverbank onto & 351; Landranger 66 laid in a thick layer on a Ice Age. On the map it looks section of the route to visit Goosegreen Place. Go round a bedrock of ancient gneiss, like a short stroll, but don’t follow path into birch Prestonpans and its marvel- barrier, walk along path then about 1000 million years ago. be fooled: it’s a real knee- woodland, going through tall lous murals. It also passes bear L onto track beside John Links and crosses area of Later, the north western cruncher that demands agility gate in deer fence, with Stac Musselburgh’s fantastic Ash Muir Way sign. Follow this as it grassland. Beyond gate L onto seaboard was crumpled and a head for heights! Pollaidh directly ahead. Lagoons, which have been veers R above Fisherrow Sands path. This runs alongside park upwards into a chain of Boulder steps climb steeply landscaped and now form alongside sea wall. Eventually road to gate. Once through, mountains when two Start through trees clad in moss and part of a nature reserve. track bears R into Levenhall turn R then L to B1348. ➥ continental plates collided, 1From car park cross road to ivy and dotted with fungi, their ➥ GRADIENT PROFILE GRADIENT PROFILE 600 600 400 400 200 200 metres metres 0 0 km 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 km 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 ✁ SCOTLAND SCOTLAND HIGHLAND EAST LOTHIAN 26 STAC POLLAIDH 25 MUSSELBURGH & PRESTONPANS uOS Explorer map 439 uBuy maps at: ordnancesurvey.co.uk/shop uOS Explorer map 350 & 351 uBuy maps at: ordnancesurvey.co.uk/shop roots nestling in heather and bracken. ⅛ mile/0.25km 3 2After woodland the path 4 forks to separate gates in another deer fence. Fork L MEDIA001/17 ORDNANCESURVEY. 2017 COPYRIGHT ©CROWN to follow path heading for western flank of mountain – steep steps and cobbles at first, later flattening to a sandy path, ALTERNATIVE boggy in places. Path climbs HIGH ROUTE through the debris of ancient 3 rockfalls – piles of fallen 5 boulders (some very large), MEDIA001/17 ORDNANCESURVEY. 2017 COPYRIGHT ©CROWN themselves eroded smooth, seamed along the original 1 START 2 strata, crusted with lichens. Some – conglomerates – have pebbles of older rocks embedded in the sandstone. Stac Pollaidh’s crenellated spine serrates the skyline 2 2½ miles/4km Haven, which used to be one path, walk through scrubby above; below, Loch Lugainn 3Follow the pavement past of Scotland’s main ports; today grassland to junction beside stretches as far as you can see entrance of Prestongrange meadow pipit, seals and steep embankment of ash in both directions, pooling 1 START Museum (which is well worth goldeneye are regularly mound. Turn L, walk along around the foot of the a visit) into attractive town of spotted. Just after information track to L of embankment, mountain. The path climbs Prestonpans, a good spot for board bear L onto path, which enjoying stunning views through scree and steepens a break and where many fine returns to B1348. Turn R, walk towards Edinburgh. Keep again as it approaches the murals can be viewed. This along pavement and back into L at fork then R at crossroads rocky buttresses. Terraces suited to deer and climbers. with cobbles on the steeper includes the famous Battle of Levenhall Links. At next gate back to outward-bound track (eroded strata) are now visible The lower path has its corners. Reaching the deer Prestonpans, which took place go straight on, cross area of at mouth of River Esk. Retrace in the towering cliffs, above adventurous moments, but fence above the birches at the here in 1745, salt panning and grassland, with path skirting steps back to Goosegreen a boulder field of shattered overall it is less exposed. The start of the walk, retrace your mining (both key industries in woodland. Cross track to Place and over River Esk pinnacles. As you climb, more two rejoin on the eastern flank steps to the car park. early development of town), reach first ash lagoon. to Fisherrow Harbour. distant hills come into view, before the route heads south and famous people such as and the sea appears beyond again. On this northern side Sir Walter Scott, Robert 6¼ miles/10.25km them. of the mountain there are GET THIS WALK Burns and John Muir. 5During 1960’s Levenhall GET THIS WALK far-reaching views over the ON YOUR PHONE: 2017 March Walking © Country Links was a disposal ground ON YOUR PHONE: 2017 March Walking © Country 1½ miles/2.5km lochs and knolls of the lfto.com/cwroutes 3½ miles/6km for ash from Cockenzie Power lfto.com/cwroutes 3On the far side of the distinctive ‘cnoc and lochan’ 4Retrace steps through Station but is now home to mountain the path splits. The landscape of the ancient IN ASSOCIATION WITH Prestonpans and just after skylark, redshank and tufted IN ASSOCIATION WITH upper path gives a great Lewisian gneiss. After turning Inchview North, turn R onto duck. Walk along lagoon’s close-up of the spectacular south the path becomes sandy John Muir Way. Follow path southern edge, veering R to rock formations, but is best and descends more gently, OS MAPS through parkland of Morrison’s gate. Once through bear L onto OS MAPS ✁.