Day 1 – Maggie’s Centre, Edinburgh to North Queensferry

Day 1 – Saturday 3rd August 2013.

Day One of Bob’s Walk started at Maggie’s Edinburgh and took the team back into the Kingdom – a 13-mile trek on a glorious day.

Maggie’s Centre in Edinburgh threw open its doors for a warm welcome and bacon rolls early on Saturday morning to give us the perfect send-off.

We headed out on to Crew Toll, but quickly left the noisy streets of the city behind as we switched on to the cycle path to Davidson’s Mains and Barnton, emerging up the road behind the Cramond Brig Hotel.

Pausing only to let the many cyclists pass – and there were many! – we made good time.

The path was wonderfully green, and also took in some of the quiet suburban streets where the houses range from the stunning to those so stunning they are hidden firmly behind electronic gates.

Heading to Cramond we came across a plaque to Pet Marjorie, the Kirkcaldy born child writer and poet.

She wandered here ‘‘in rural filicity, festivity and pleasure’’ according to the plaque and praised it in her journal.

Our first stop was at the Cramond Brig Hotel before diverting again away from the main roads on the cycle paths through a tranquil and green Dalmeny Estate.

As we approached Hopetoun House we got our first glimpses of Fife across the Forth, and the first spots of rain fell – barely enough to fill a thimble.

The breeze from the sea kept as cool as we headed into South Queensferry for lunch alfresco.

The town was bustling with tourists and locals, and one driver wound down his window to donate £10 – the first of what we hope will be many on our journeys.

More than a few people also stopped to ask about the walk which allowed us to explain about Maggie’s Fife and our route.

We headed through South Queensferry and climbed up to find the road which winds its way up to the Forth Road Bridge.

The walk across the Forth was slightly more than breezy! More than once the cross winds caught our rucksacks and knocked us off our stride, but, we got to the other end to snake down the stairs back into North Queensferry almost bang on schedule.

Sunday’s schedule starts from the very spot we stopped today, and our route will take us up the hill into Inverkeithing and on to Dalgety Bay, Aberdour and Burntisland.

Sincere thanks to Gregg’s for supplying our packed lunches today – they were superb!

Donate online at    http://fundraise.maggiescentres.org/bobswalk

Thanks to Allan Crow, (one of the core walkers and editor of the Fife Free Press) for his daily reports

 

Edinburgh

 The Maggie’s Centre at the Western General Hospital in Edinburgh
Photograph courtesy of Maggie’s Centres

 
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