Barns Ness Lighthouse to John Muir Country Park | UK Coast

Waking at Barnes Ness Lighthouse

We slept well in the dunes at Barnes Ness, waking to a warm, bright sun and cold, still air. Breakfast was peanut butter flapjacks and coffee, a Mocha for Eve. We were packed and walking by 8:30 and looking forward to the day ahead.

The second day always feels better than the first day!

The first day is a rollercoaster of emotions: Leaving Sarah, getting into a rhythm, and finding our mojo! The second day, we settled into a pattern and decompressed from being at 'home'! This is when we truly come alive and become one with the outdoors. Think of it as sleeping off the jet lag. Now, we were both cooking on gas and found our second wind.

I love this life.

Walking around Barns Ness Lighthouse

We didn't linger; we walked strong and proud around the lighthouse, enjoying being outdoors in the cool but warming air. Lighthouses are fascinating places. Pure alterisum, built with one function, to prevent deaths at sea and loss of shipping. They stand tall and powerful, facing off against the elements, pushing their light through the sky to warn mariners of the hazards and the hope of dry land and loved ones.

Lighthouses hold a fascinating place in our hearts. They were the first formidable fight people made against the sea's perils and the waves' might. Without these tall buildings projecting their light over the vastness of the ocean, countless people would have died, and who knows, those survivors may be our ancestors, without whom you and I may not have been born!

Barns Ness lighthouse or one of the hundreds around the coast may have saved your life without you ever knowing it—that's what I tell myself anyway as wel walked on past!

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The Scottish Thistle

After passing the lighthouse, we entered a large grassed area that undulated and wound around small lumps in the land. On the map, this is called the 'Geology Trail,' although I couldn't find any information plaques to tell us of the history.

We did see plenty of man-made infrastructure that is slowly falling into ruin, evidence of a bygone age of industrial expansion in the area.

This area is also home to thousands of Thistles.

The flower of Scotland.

Next time you see a thistle, stop and admire it. They're magnificent. Beautiful. A spiky mixture of stem and leaf with a magnificent purple head that forms the flower of this majestic plant. Sitting low and humble, they look towards the sky, making their home in the most unusual places and surviving against the odds. It's a great metaphor for Scotland over the ages. Even the might of the Romans 2000 years ago couldn't subdue the original inhabitants of Scotland. Much like the thistle that so many people step over or trample, they will not be held down! The Thistle is the perfect metaphor for Scotland

White Sands & SpongeBob Square Pants

White Sands is beautiful and came out of nowhere as we walked. We emerged onto White Sands and immediately made our way onto the beach despite there being a path along the edge.

I immediately started drawing in the sand without meaning to or without Eve's influence. I have no idea why I drew SpongeBob Squarepants, as I have never watched a single episode! Eve, on the other hand, was playing a game of dare with the tide! She was starting to lose! I think she got wet feet, although she insisted she hadn't! I wasn't going to push. She had a smile on her face and was happy. That's all that mattered to me at the moment!

Dunbar in the distance & a golf course!

We could see Dunbar coming into view from miles away. Seeing urban places always raises my anxiety, and Eve always becomes quieter. It's the realisation that we are not really separated from the hustle and bustle of life. Our little oasis along this thin sliver of land running parallel to the coast, blotted out by building and noise. But we also needed Dunbar, specifically the Coop. The coop was our resupply shop of choice. We like the coop, it's predictable!

We walked on, looking at the golf course coming into view, getting closer with hundreds of people hitting little balls into little holes with big sticks!

Now, not to get on my soapbox again, but I can't stand golf courses.

Golf courses destroy the landscape and make it lifeless. Nothing can exist on a gold course. They are worse than a desert, void of life and soul. The British coast is littered with them, and walking past them feels like walking past a victim of crime on the street. It tugs at every sinew in my body, and I want to do something to save this landscape and return it to its former glory.

Surviving the golf course

Beyond the golf course is a small section of beach that can be avoided at high tide. The beach, if that's what you can call it, is rocky, wet, slippery, and incredibly hard to walk over. We know this as Eve chose to walk over it. Seeing it as part of the adventure to risk broken bones, we slowly walked over the rocks.

I am pleased we did. It was a nice section, and we got a unique view of some buildings and odd-looking wall art. I have no idea if it was meant to be there, but upon seeing it, for some reason, it even baffles me. It looked like the launch of the Klingons from Star Trek! I worry about how my mind works and how it can take me down these odd chains of thought! How on earth I arrived at clingons is beyond me! I think a psychologist would have a field day with me!

Dunbar and resupply at the coop

Dunbar was busy. I know the images don't look busy, but I'm autistic, and so is Eve. This is too busy for me, and I don't like it! We have visited Dunbar before. Dunbar is where the John Muir Way is on the High Street.

We took a quick picture on the main street and headed straight for the coop that I had ready on my phone. I left my phone on loud and listened to the audible directions, allowing me to keep my head up and focus on the roads and Eve.

The coop was busy. I'm sure you're getting the idea. We are much more used to the wild, open places of Great Britain, not these busy places!

I always tell myself in shops to take more pictures to keep the pace of our journey even, but in the stress of it all, I always forget. Resupply is one of the things I dislike the most about hiking long distances. It's also inevitable.

We grabbed what we needed, paid, and sat outside packing it into our bags before heading off again towards home—I mean, the coast!

Dunbar for coffee and ice cream

After the coop and heading back towards the coast, Sarah phoned us. Sarah had been tracking us on our satellite trackers and saw us leave the coop. She phoned to tell us we were walking past a coffee and ice cream shop and had received some generous support from Buy Me a Coffee. "Why don't you use some and get something?" So that's what we did. It also helped that Sarah sent me a map with where the coffee shops were.

First, thank you for your amazing, kind, and generous donation to Buy Me a Coffee. I would never consider going to a coffee shop without it, and every ice cream or treat Eve has on the trail is brought through your donations.

It truly blows my mind every time someone like you donates, and it makes me realise that there really are some amazing and kind people out there in the world.

Eve had chocolate ice cream, and I had a latte. Thank you! Seriously and truly, thank you!

Dunbar harbour and castle

We left the coffee shop happy, refreshed, and eager to walk with a renewed love for the people, knowing there were some amazing people out there who made this treat possible.

The walk through Dunbar was a maze, and we seemed to go up or down every wrong street possible. I was getting annoyed at myself, and Eve just thought it was funny and kept laughing at me as I repeatedly chastised myself.

Eventually, we made it to the harbour, the highlight of Dunbar.

Dunbar Harbour is beautiful. It was picture-perfect against the ruins of a castle and the blue sky. With bellies filled with sugar and coffee, we walked slowly and enjoyed looking around.

We stood on the harbour's edge for (what felt like) hours, gazing into the water below. The water was crystal clear, so clear that it was difficult to estimate its depth. Of course, we were not considering jumping in, but it did look very inviting on a hot day like today.

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Walking the cliffs out of Dunbar

This was our favourite route in Dunbar, away from the town and away from people. Although it is still relatively busy with people, we could easily avoid them, keeping our gaze heading out to sea and along the coast. For us, we were heading back into our happy place. We were heading home...

It was now early afternoon, and the sun was high and hot. It was also getting hotter, and we were struggling with the heat.

This path out of Dunbar had a wall to one side and cliffs on the other. It was spectacular to walk along, looking at the sea arches and the blue water below the yellow stone of the cliffs.

Although not our ideal walking terrain for older people or less adventurous people, this would be a perfect stroll on flat ground with magnificent views. I highly recommend it to everyone.

I did, however, make another navigational error. I walked us down the steps and along the path only to come up against a huge fence and a sign that said the path was closed. We had to retrace our steps. I found this infuriating, not for going wrong and missing the orogonal sign but watching Eve run up the steep grass like an elf from Lord of the Rings whilst I stomped up the steps like grumpy Gimmly!

We followed the alternative path, passing a large WW2 gun, and then returned to the main coastal path with all the walkers.

We found a quiet patch of grass, sat down, took our trainers off and had lunch. It felt awesome and such a privilege. We sat there for over an hour just lying and listening to people walk past.

We were briefly disturbed by a very friendly dog, but Eve, being Eve, thought it was amazing that she got to stroke a dog. We didn't see an owner, which was slightly concerning.

Towards Belhaven Bay

Leaving the tarmac path behind, we briefly skirted the Winterfield golf course—another golf course! Despite my careful photography to avoid photographing people, it was especially busy—and busier than the town centre, surprisingly!

We stepped off the path regularly to let people pass, saw people having BBQs on the shoreline and hundreds of golfers enjoying themselves on the golf course.

Belhaven Bay...

Oh my gosh... where do I start?

Belhaven Bay is stunningly beautiful—not at the start, not in the busy section, but at the quite end. Once you move slightly further along the bay, where nobody walks except the most committed walkers, it is breathtakingly beautiful.

The silence and solitude of the places take my breath away. The silence is golden, but it's so much more than that. It frees the mind, body, and soul to explore the places in your mind you can't normally access.

Walking along in the surf, the sea rolling in and out, gently caressing your toes, the cold ocean cooling muscles and soothing the soul, the sand massaging the feet and feeding the heart. Filling you with love and joy, for life, fatherhood, parenthood, being a husband and partner, and being alive. I would never tire or be bored if these moments could last forever. It's what life is and what we all yearn for deep down inside. Moments of bliss, solitude, love, and compassion all rolled into one endless cycle of moments, as clear as the rolling over my feet, turning from clear water to white froth and finally turquoise as it repeats again and again and again...

The outdoors, the coast, the hills, the mountains—wherever you find yourself drawn, follow it, embrace it. Life is short, and life is valuable. You are more worthy than you can possibly know, so go out and walk, cycle, or run anything. Find your space, your place, and your time.

This is mine and I share it here with you.

Heckies Hole - Mud, sand and seeing our unreachable camping spot...

We walked to the farthest edge of Belhaven Bay, not wanting to stop or turn around, but we had to stop and turn.

We reached the furthest point and started to walk back, along the edge of a sand dune where a group had set up camp for the day with tarps and enough equipment to outlast the apocalypse.

As we walked, the sand slowly started to change from golden sand to mud—thick and squelchy. We didn't put on our shoes, secretly hoping to find a way to cross the channel of water to the other side.

We got to the edge and looked, assessed and decided NO. We might have been able to but I don't believe in taking unnecerecery risks. The anoything was, we were just a few hundred meters from our propesed wild camping spot in the trees oposite.

This is where, unbeknownst to us, it was all starting to go very wrong!!!

We turned, headed to the edge and started walking up the side of the estuary, aiming for a footbridge that was clearly marked on the map... I am sure you can see where this is going, but oh no... it gets worse!

Mud, rest and glorious sunshine

We walked along the edge of the channel of water, slowing down, coming to the edge of mud, and running parallel to the John Muir Way. This was easy walking, simple: Keep to the edge, and don't go in the mud. We continued in high spirits until we got to the top, where farms and livestock fields took over from the muf flats.

About halfway along, we stopped for a wee break in the shade and to drink some water. It was stifflingly hot.

The joy of hindsight and the doomsday bridge

We walked through fields, through sheep poo, long grass, and spiky plants that scratched our calves. But we walked, confident we would be in camp within a few minutes. We sat resting with a cup of tea and a pot of food.

Fate has another plan for us.

Finding the bridge was difficult. I had to take a boating trip and use the river to handrail me to its location. Excited to see it, we hastened our pace, knowing we would be safely across before long.

We approached the bridge and looked at it. Assessed the bridge. Our hearts sank.

The bridge was fenced off. It was impassable, falling to pieces, and a wreck. It looked like it had fallen several times and been propped up by somebody to lure in hikers, only to see them dashed at the last minute.

We sat on the grass, feeling discouraged and knowing we were slowly reaching our psychological wall. The water was still salty, so there was no chance of filtering it for extra water or cold drinks. We sat and studied the map, looking for plan Z.

We found it, but it would take some work, possibly causing us to spend an extra night on the coast in our little tent!

Always a silver lining if you look for it!

Backtracking, different route, location unknown... "here we go"

"Here we go, " Eve said, and we started to head back the way we came after agreeing on a plan Z. Plan Z represented not only the plan itself, but also the direction we would be heading, in a giant Z shape to get to where we could sleep and more importantly, access some much-needed water.

The ironic thing was that we would end up passing the exact place where we had stopped for our break a couple of hours before! That was the most frustrating thing.

But the route still had a few spanners to throw at us.

1. We ended up walking along a path that was so overgrown that we ended up back on the edge of the mud, where the walking was easier. It wasn't easy—just easier!
2. Then we had to weave through gorse bushes taller than me. If you don't know what a Gorse bush is, think barbed wire with pretty yellow flowers, the petals of which make a lovely addition to a salad!
3. Walking back down the John Muir Way we would end up where we started... but not fininshed.

We had predicted item 3, but it still didn't feel any better to reach that point. We still had some way to go!

We continued walking until we reached Hedderwick Plantation in John Muir Country Park, close to East Links Family Park. To put that into perspective, we were close to the start of Belhaven Bay!

But, always a silver lining... this is when things started to improve!

John Muir Country Park and toilets... with a tap!

John Muir Country Park was a savious, or more specifically, the public toilets. I was expecting the toilets to be disgusting, but they were immaculate! Best of all, they had an outside drinking water tap! Happy days!!!

We sat on the grass next to the toilets, drank over a litre each, and washed the mud and sand off our feet. We had something to eat (a snack bar) and generally rested and cooled off. Eve soaked her cap and buff to put on. It was a great way to cool off, even if it didn't stay cold for long!

By now, it was getting late. The summer sun was low in the sky, and we could feel the evening slowly closing in around us. We needed to find somewhere to camp.

The plan. Walk into the woodland and find somewhere on the shoreline to spend the night.

Backpacks back on, we stomped off in the direction of the coast, arguing about what was the quickest way. We went my way, but in hindsight, I have to be honest, Eve's way would have been quicker! She wasn't shy in pointing out this small, not-so-insignificant fact to me!

Wild camping in John Muir Country Park in Hedderwick Plantation

We walked to the coast and found a wonderful, small flat piece of land right at the edge of the plantation. We did pass a few more, but a group of young lads was camping, and we wanted to keep our distance. In their defence, we didn't see or hear from them once throughout the night.

The spot was idyllic and we honestly couldn't have wished for better! It was stunning.

This evening's dinner was tuna, pasta with cheese, and beans! Yum! We drank loads of liquid to make sure we were fully hydrated before bed.

We sat outside, snuggling and cuddling until late into the evening. We watched the sun slowly setting over the estuary, talking about the day and telling Eve how awesome she had done, pushing through her wall and carrying on (not that we had much choice). It was a picture postcard, an image to end the day, as I could imagine, and the perfect end to a wonderful, challenging day.

I hope you enjoyed this journal. Please consider supporting us. Your support means so much and helps us more than I can possibly tell you. Thank you. Ian 🙏🏻
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Walking the UK Coast 🇬🇧 - John Muir Country Park to Seacliff Beach

Yesterday we drank from a public toilet, today we washed ourselves in a public toilet... and even had a camp fire on the beach, perfect! Oh... and we had to walk 2 miles back to camp!

Our Spectrum AdventuresIan Alderman