John Muir Way
Encyclopedia
The John Muir Way is a 73 kilometres (45.4 mi) continuous coastal path in East Lothian
, Scotland
, UK. It is named in honour of the Scottish 19th-century conservationist
John Muir
, who was born at Dunbar
, East Lothian, in 1838 and became a founder of America's national park
system.
The path runs from the Edinburgh
City boundary along the coast through East Lothian
to the Scottish Borders
. As of April 2008, these sections have been completed:
The John Muir Way is signposted throughout with green fingerposts. It also connects with other coastal and countryside pathways—for instance, the 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) Railway Walk from Longniddry to Haddington
The John Muir Way forms part of the North Sea Trail
Project (Nortrail), funded by the European Regional Development Fund
. It links 7 countries and 26 partner areas around the North Sea
: Sweden
, Norway
, Denmark
, Germany
, the Netherlands
, England
and Scotland
.
East Lothian
East Lothian is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, and a lieutenancy Area. It borders the City of Edinburgh, Scottish Borders and Midlothian. Its administrative centre is Haddington, although its largest town is Musselburgh....
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, UK. It is named in honour of the Scottish 19th-century conservationist
Conservationist
Conservationists are proponents or advocates of conservation. They advocate for the protection of all the species in an ecosystem with a strong focus on the natural environment...
John Muir
John Muir
John Muir was a Scottish-born American naturalist, author, and early advocate of preservation of wilderness in the United States. His letters, essays, and books telling of his adventures in nature, especially in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California, have been read by millions...
, who was born at Dunbar
Dunbar
Dunbar is a town in East Lothian on the southeast coast of Scotland, approximately 28 miles east of Edinburgh and 28 miles from the English Border at Berwick-upon-Tweed....
, East Lothian, in 1838 and became a founder of America's national park
National park
A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individual nations designate their own national parks differently A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or...
system.
The path runs from the Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
City boundary along the coast through East Lothian
East Lothian
East Lothian is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, and a lieutenancy Area. It borders the City of Edinburgh, Scottish Borders and Midlothian. Its administrative centre is Haddington, although its largest town is Musselburgh....
to the Scottish Borders
Scottish Borders
The Scottish Borders is one of 32 local government council areas of Scotland. It is bordered by Dumfries and Galloway in the west, South Lanarkshire and West Lothian in the north west, City of Edinburgh, East Lothian, Midlothian to the north; and the non-metropolitan counties of Northumberland...
. As of April 2008, these sections have been completed:
- FisherrowFisherrowFisherrow is a harbour and former fishing village at Musselburgh, East Lothian, Scotland, UK, to the east of Portobello and Joppa, and on the left bank of the River Esk.-History:...
Harbour, MusselburghMusselburghMusselburgh is the largest settlement in East Lothian, Scotland, on the coast of the Firth of Forth, six miles east of Edinburgh city centre.-History:...
, to Cockenzie—10 km, including Ash lagoons, Levenhall Links, Musselburgh RacecourseMusselburgh RacecourseMusselburgh Racecourse, known until the 1990s as Edinburgh Racecourse, is a horse racing venue located in the Millhill area of Musselburgh, East Lothian, Scotland, UK, close to the River Esk....
, West Pans, Prestongrange Industrial Heritage MuseumPrestongrange Industrial Heritage MuseumThe Prestongrange Industrial Heritage Museum is an industrial heritage museum at Prestongrange between Musselburgh and Prestonpans on the B1348 on the East Lothian coast, Scotland UK....
, Morrison's HavenMorrison's HavenMorrison's Haven is a harbour at Prestongrange, East Lothian, Scotland, UK, on the B1348, close to Levenhall Links, Prestongrange Industrial Heritage Museum, Prestonpans, and Prestongrange House.-History:...
, PrestonpansPrestonpansPrestonpans is a small town to the east of Edinburgh, Scotland, in the unitary council area of East Lothian. It has a population of 7,153 . It is the site of the 1745 Battle of Prestonpans, and has a history dating back to the 11th century...
, and Cockenzie Harbour
- Cockenzie to AberladyAberladyAberlady is a coastal village in the Scottish council area of East Lothian. On Aberlady Bay, it is five miles northwest of Haddington and approximately 18 miles east of Edinburgh, to which it is linked by the A198 Dunbar - Edinburgh road.Aberlady Parish Church dates back to the 15th century. It...
—8.5 km, including Cockenzie, Port Seton, Seton Sands, LongniddryLongniddryLongniddry is a village in East Lothian, Scotland, with a population of 2,613 .Longniddry is primarily a dormitory village for commuters to Edinburgh, with good transport links by road and rail to the capital...
, GosfordGosford HouseGosford House is the family seat of the Charteris family and is situated near Longniddry in East Lothian, Scotland. It was recently the home of the late Rt. Hon. David Charteris, 12th Earl of Wemyss and 8th Earl of March, chief of the name and arms of Charteris.Gosford was built by the 7th Earl of...
, KilspindieKilspindieKilspindie is a village in Perth and Kinross, Scotland. It is situated on the Kilspindie burn, approximately 5 km Northwest of Errol, 10 km west of Dundee and 10 km east of Perth...
and Aberlady
- Aberlady to North BerwickNorth BerwickThe Royal Burgh of North Berwick is a seaside town in East Lothian, Scotland. It is situated on the south shore of the Firth of Forth, approximately 25 miles east of Edinburgh. North Berwick became a fashionable holiday resort in the 19th century because of its two sandy bays, the East Bay and the...
—15 km, including LuffnessLuffnessLuffness is a hamlet in East Lothian, Scotland. It lies between the towns of Gullane and Aberlady and is approximately 20 miles east of Edinburgh....
House, GullaneGullaneGullane is a town on the southern shore of the Firth of Forth in East Lothian on the east coast of Scotland. There has been a church in the village since the 9th century. The ruins of the Old Church of St...
, Archerfield House, DirletonDirletonDirleton is a village and parish in East Lothian, Scotland approximately east of Edinburgh on the A198. It contains . Dirleton lies between North Berwick , Gullane , Fenton Barns and the Yellowcraigs nature reserve, Archerfield Estate and the Firth of Forth...
, Dirleton CastleDirleton CastleDirleton Castle is a medieval fortress in the village of Dirleton, East Lothian, Scotland. It lies around west of North Berwick, and around east of Edinburgh...
, Yellowcraig and North Berwick
- North Berwick to DunbarDunbarDunbar is a town in East Lothian on the southeast coast of Scotland, approximately 28 miles east of Edinburgh and 28 miles from the English Border at Berwick-upon-Tweed....
—24 km, including North Berwick LawNorth Berwick LawNorth Berwick Law is a conical hill which rises incongruously from the surrounding landscape . It overlooks the East Lothian town of North Berwick and stands at 613 ft above sea level.Geologically, the law is a volcanic plug of hard phonolitic trachyte rock of Carboniferous age...
, East LintonEast LintonEast Linton is a town in East Lothian, Scotland, situated on the River Tyne and A199 road five miles east of Haddington, with a population of 1,774...
, Preston MillPreston MillPreston Mill is a watermill on the River Tyne at the eastern edge of East Linton on the B1407 Preston Road, in East Lothian, Scotland, UK. It is situated close to Prestonkirk Parish Church, the Smeaton Hepburn Estate, Smeaton Lake, and Phantassie Doocot....
, Prestonkirk Parish ChurchPrestonkirk Parish ChurchPrestonkirk Parish Church is a Church of Scotland parish church at East Linton, in the parish of Traprain, East Lothian, Scotland, UK, close to Preston Mill, Smeaton, Phantassie, and the River Tyne.-Building:...
, John Muir Country ParkJohn Muir Country ParkThe John Muir Country Park is an area of woodland, grassland and coastline near Dunbar in East Lothian, Scotland. It is named after John Muir, a famous naturalist and geologist who was born in Dunbar and later emigrated to the USA where he developed his ideas....
, Belhaven Bay, and Dunbar
- Dunbar Harbour to DunglassDunglassDunglass is a location in East Lothian, Scotland, lying east of the Lammermuir Hills on the North Sea coast. It has a 15th century Dunglass Collegiate Church, now in the care of Historic Scotland...
, near CockburnspathCockburnspathCockburnspath is a village in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland. It lies near the North Sea coast between Berwick-upon-Tweed and Edinburgh. It is at the eastern extremity of the Southern Upland Way, a long-distance footpath from the west to east coast of Scotland, and it is also the terminus...
—16 km, including Dunbar CastleDunbar CastleDunbar Castle is the remnants of one of the most mighty fortresses in Scotland, situated over the harbour of the town of Dunbar, in East Lothian.-Early history:...
, East Links, Broxmouth, Catcraig, Barns Ness, Skateraw Harbour, Torness Nuclear Power StationTorness nuclear power stationTorness nuclear power station was the last of the United Kingdom's second generation nuclear power plants to be commissioned. Construction of this facility began in 1980 for the then South of Scotland Electricity Board and it was commissioned in 1988...
, BilsdeanBilsdeanBilsdean is a village between Thorntonloch and Cockburnspath on the East Lothian coast of Scotland.The place-name derives from Biel, East Lothian, also Biel House, Biel Water, Belhaven, and Belhaven Bay.-External links:****...
, and Dunglass
The John Muir Way is signposted throughout with green fingerposts. It also connects with other coastal and countryside pathways—for instance, the 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) Railway Walk from Longniddry to Haddington
Haddington, East Lothian
The Royal Burgh of Haddington is a town in East Lothian, Scotland. It is the main administrative, cultural and geographical centre for East Lothian, which was known officially as Haddingtonshire before 1921. It lies about east of Edinburgh. The name Haddington is Anglo-Saxon, dating from the 6th...
The John Muir Way forms part of the North Sea Trail
North Sea Trail
The North Sea Trail is a long-distance path linking seven countries and 26 partner areas in Northern Europe around the North Sea.The project's aims are to support sustainable tourism and to explore the heritage of communities along the North Sea coast....
Project (Nortrail), funded by the European Regional Development Fund
European Regional Development Fund
The European Regional Development Fund is a fund allocated by the European Union.-History:During the 1960s, the European Commission occasionally tried to establish a regional fund. Only Italy ever supported this, however, and nothing came of it. Britain made it an issue for their accession in...
. It links 7 countries and 26 partner areas around the North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
: Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
.
See also
- European long-distance pathsEuropean long-distance pathsThe European long-distance paths are a network of long-distance footpaths that traverse Europe. While most long-distance footpaths in Europe are located in just one country or region, each of these numbered European long-distance paths passes through many different countries.The European...
- John Muir TrustJohn Muir TrustThe John Muir Trust is a Scottish charity established as a membership organisation in 1983 to conserve wild land and wild places for the benefit of all...
- John Muir's BirthplaceJohn Muir's BirthplaceJohn Muir's Birthplace, in Dunbar, East Lothian, Scotland, is a museum run by East Lothian Council Museums Service as a centre for study and interpretation of the work of John Muir.-History:...
- List of places in East Lothian
- List of long-distance footpaths
- Sierra ClubSierra ClubThe Sierra Club is the oldest, largest, and most influential grassroots environmental organization in the United States. It was founded on May 28, 1892, in San Francisco, California, by the conservationist and preservationist John Muir, who became its first president...