A Return to Edinburgh. Part One. Surgeons Hall Museums. University of Edinburgh.

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A return to Edinburgh after 5 years. It was Alan's suggestion as he wanted to visit the Surgeons Hall museums. I've always liked visiting Edinburgh but for a variety of reasons it's been 5 years since my previous visit. Covid lockdowns, minor health issues, a long list of interesting places to visit in Edinburgh already ticked off.... and an almost 3 hour bus journey to get there and another 3 hour one back the same day... all played a part. Glasgow's Buchanan Bus Station destination board above.

Coming from different districts on the outskirts I'd arranged to meet Alan here at Buchanan Bus Station around 10:30am. Travelling clock above. I was slightly concerned that in the 5 year interval pre-booking bus journeys online would be the norm now as that was already creeping in years ago but thankfully you can still turn up on the day without a ticket and get a seat, especially if low in numbers. ie 2. Under an hour to get to here by bus from the city outskirts and around another hour and a half to Edinburgh, depending on traffic. 30 mins to one hour onwards to Leith, (No 16 bus York Place) Portobello, Musselburgh or Seaton Sands, (No 26 bus. Princes Street.) Having caught covid two weeks ago from one lone short bus journey to my local retail park that was also a possibility on a busy city to city bus as the latest variant of covid is spreading UK wide this autumn apparently. But I thought that having already had it... 4 times in 5 years now... I would be fairly immune to its worst effects.

Passing the stylish and grand Donaldson's National School for the Deaf on the Edinburgh bus. Founded mid 1800s and opened by Queen Victoria. This building is now upmarket flats apparently as the deaf school moved to more modern updated facilities in Linlithgow over a decade ago.

Although Edinburgh is always a great city to visit at any time of year it did look slightly diminished on this occasion, Especially for a keen photographer like myself. North Bridge, seen above, was covered in scaffolding as was the ornate and iconic late 1800s Jenners department store on Princes Street which is getting remodelled into a hotel. On the plus side the old 1970s St James Centre, which I remember well, next to the main bus station, which was a building site on all previous visits, is now finished and rebranded into St James Quarter. 

What we were both here to see however was the Surgeons Hall Museums which is on Nicolson Street just up from North Bridge. £10 entry Adult. £6 concessions. No photography allowed inside. Both museums showed the history of medicine and surgical advances since the 1800s and some of it was pretty full on. Serious injuries, extreme abnormal growths and treatments were all covered. It was interesting and Alan really enjoyed it but one hour in it was enough for me. I waited outside in the garden area where you could take photographs.

Flower border getting plenty of rain.

Flagstone detail.

Fish mural across the street.

Museum outdoor sculpture and entrance. I also had a walk around the local neighbourhood and an hour later Alan emerged having examined everything to his satisfaction.

Not far away on the opposite side of Nicolson Street the entrance gate to the University of Edinburgh invited us in for another exhibition of sculptures and artworks.

This is the inner courtyard and as you can see it was a day of bright sunshine and heavy downpours.

On the way back we took in some more of the classic Edinburgh highlights. I liked the blend here of old and new buildings matching together. Same colour.

Not too sure about this one though. The classic early 1900s North British Station Hotel ( now The Balmoral Hotel) on the right and the very modern bronze spiral of the W hotel on the left. I have a triple  album cover 'Decade' by Neil Young featuring this 1902 built hotel when he stayed here while touring as a young singer/songwriter and J.K. Rowling famously finished her Harry Potter Series here.

And while we are on that subject not for the first time I started to wonder if the author of those well known books took direct inspiration from the art work and buildings surrounding her in Edinburgh when she started out. For instance ... anyone observant will notice snake and rod (or staff ) symbols all over Edinburgh as an ancient symbol for medicine or healing. i.e. potions, snakes. wands.

And on the way back to the bus station walking through the Edinburgh University district Potterrow and Candlemaker Row presumably predate the Harry Potter books by centuries. As does the general concept of educational reward above. Sorting hat perhaps? 

And lastly Dumbiedykes is a real nearby local district of old Edinburgh as well... Professor Dumbledore not that far away from that name...all just pure coincidence?

As there's so much to see in Edinburgh we went back by a different route but in the city district it is almost impossible to take a people free photograph due to the sheer number of tourists milling around. I did try my best though to get classic views  of the city without people in them.   

The mound area from the National Gallery.

The Balmoral Hotel clock tower, Princes Street and the triple black spires of St Mary's Cathedral in Palmerston Place which I visited on a previous walk. 

Edinburgh trams. The clang clang of which is a continuous sound around parts of the city. Just as well as they would creep up on you silently without that bell ringing every few minutes.  

Back at the bus station which is located just behind Princes Street next to York Place and St James Quarter Alan and I parted company. He had to get the bus back to Glasgow early but as it was turning into a lovely sunny evening I stayed on in Edinburgh to continue walking. I eventually got back to Glasgow around 9:00pm... hand in hand with darkness arriving over the city. And a 7:00am start at sunrise so a long day. But it was worth it.... 

Calton Hill .....to be continued in part two. 

Over 50 classic old paintings in a slideshow from all over Europe and Scandinavia. 98 %  of which I've never seen before. An outstanding landscape gallery from the golden age of oils. Enjoy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKkDMiGUbUw&list=RDcKkDMiGUbUw&start_radio=1

Auchenstarry to Colzium Lennox Estate. Kilsyth.

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A walk from July. We parked at Auchenstarry Quarry again, seen above, and walked from there past Barr to Woodend along a green path on the southern edge of Kilsyth. At Woodend , using the Glasgow OS Landranger map sheet 64, a path ran north through the woods in the direction of Colzium Lennox Estate. (We could have parked there instead but that would mean missing out these extra paths, neither of which we had done before.)

 We being Alan and I. Although it does not look it from the map both these paths are pleasant country tracks with few signs visible of  Kilsyth's urban sprawl.

 A painted stone seal in a nearby farm/building yard.

 The horse meadows and Croy Hill from the country track.

 

A view of Bar Hill on The Antonine Way and the John Muir Way just before we turned inland through the woods.

 

This is the view we had on the open hillside heading north to Colzium Lennox Estate. At this point several paths go in different directions but we just kept heading north and apart from a minor wrong turn into a new housing estate we found the right trail.

 

Several new housing estates have sprung up over the years here but this was the one we headed for, still travelling north. A lane led rightwards at the edge of this estate and that in turn gave us access to Colzium Lennox Estate, which is a local park for the good folk of Kilsyth.

 

As I say you can drive and park here in this estate but that would have meant missing out interesting paths we'd never walked before.

 It's a lovely park I have been to before, years ago, with the car park and pond, seen above.

 This sign explains what's available.

 The estate grounds with good views and wide range of tree types. Looking down the slope.

 Looking up the slope.

 A famous battle took place near here. This is the battle commemoration stone.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Kilsyth 

 We also had a walk around the walled garden in the estate. It must be 15 or so years since I explored here and it looked different, the various trees and shrubs in the garden gaining in height 10 to 20 feet taller. It was a miniature garden the last time by comparison.

 Yellow glory.

 Unusual plants.

 We came back via the Mill Girls walk, which is the traditional path through the park from Banton Mill to Kilsyth that the workers used in a previous heavy industry era. This took us out onto the busy A803 main road and a pavement through the town but it also held rewards in the town maps we stopped at to examine.

 One showed the Kelvin Valley path network and a lot of routes not immediately apparent from the OS map or easily available from searching online.

 

The other was a Kilsyth town walk we would never have thought of doing. It's the same with any new area visited. Sometimes you really have to go there to find out all that's available. Several new walks suggested themselves on these info boards.

 

We walked back through Kilsyth's main shopping street, pedestrianized and pleasant, with many local independent shops.

 As small town shopping streets go we were both impressed by this one which had retained its original market town character, certainly to outsider eyes like ours.

A shop mural on the B802 back to Auchenstarry Quarry, again on a good pavement.

The main house. Colzium Lennox Estate.

The tranquil beauty of Auchenstarry Quarry.

And another scenic gem. This is probably the nicest 5 minute video you will ever see on You Tube. Child and adult friendly and a complete joy to watch. Please don't miss it. What any parent may wish, understandably, for their children.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3u8stDTwZY&list=RDt3u8stDTwZY&start_radio=1

A Kilpatrick Hills Escarpment Gallery.

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I've only moved house a few times in my life, all within the city of Glasgow, but I've always been lucky to have lived close to a small but beautiful hill range. Often within walking distance or a short bus ride.  It started out with the Brownside/Gleniffer Braes above Barrhead  and Paisley... and it is ending with The Kilpatrick Hills above Clydebank/ Duntocher. Years ago I used to be keen on climbing the summits of these ranges but having done them all dozens of times it's the lower slopes that hold the greater appeal for me now...if I'm on my own,  as that's where most of the nature can be found.

  And in May, June and early July it's a cornucopia of life and colour.

A goldfinch enjoys the Spring sunshine.

A good contrast of sunlight and shade here highlighting the Kilpartick escarpment in May with white hawthorn bushes and yellow gorse dotting the slopes. It is the season I've always felt most alive and euphoric. And why wouldn't you with all this going on after the bleak leafless winter months. 

This is the cream season in the UK. April, May, June and July. 

So instead of going up to the summits I'll sometimes traverse across the slopes of the escarpment instead. No paths to follow here, only open ground, but not that hard. This time I was on the hunt for butterflies. For several years I've noticed hundreds of tiny thumbnail sized butterflies on these slopes and elsewhere. They start in May, probably just hatched, then grow over the weeks to just over 50 pence size. I've spotted them often and admired them but never caught them with the camera as they move fast in warm weather.

This time I had the luck and the patience to capture them. Just seeing them fly past I thought they were different species at first. Orange tip butterflies and a tiny cabbage white type...

Until I saw them close up in detail, attempting to mate, and realised it was male and female orange tips.

Also spotted a small heath butterfly so that was me happy...and it didn't end there.

This is my idea of heaven. A quiet path, spectacular views, lush landscapes.

And you don't need any money at all to enjoy it... just respect for nature. The Renfrewshire uplands viewed from the Kilpatrick Hills. 

Beautiful flowers in a boggy section.

Old Kilpatrick and Erskine.

A cattle herd in the landscape.

The Erskine Bridge and the Inverclyde hills.

Micro Worlds. Tiny fly or fairy queen.

On the Kilpatrick Escarpment.

Mythago Wood.

The descent from Heaven...

The four white poles of the new Yoker to Renfew swing bridge across the River Clyde bringing an abrupt end to the Yoker- Renfrew ferry service. The last ferry across the River Clyde. A ferry service had existed near this point (Yoker- Renfrew) from the 1700s or even earlier until May 2025. The swing bridge is ok, and can be convenient driving across it but it is slightly downriver, further away from Renfrew town centre and it does close ( for 30 mins to an hour) almost every day for ships going upriver/ downriver so it's not always as reliable as the ferry was if you work either side of the river and need to be on time daily. I have been across it many times since it opened. Driving and on foot.

Descending the path.

July wildflower carpet.

Auchentoshan Distillery. Below the Kilpatrick hills.

 Cemetery below the Kilpatrick Hills. Probably where I'll end my own journey in life. (turned to dust in the Clydebank Crematorium next door.... then scattered on the escarpment somewhere.) ....  Or transformed into an orange tip butterfly. Who knows...