Just East of the Capital

Preston Mill (pictured above) was an unexpected find in East Lothian, the county just to the east of Edinburgh. From sandy beaches and coastal woodlands, bird reserves and some quaint small towns and villages, this is definitely an area worth a day's exploration. North Berwick is deservedly on the tourist map and has very pleasant privately run cafes and pubs and a couple of streets of shops offering a small art gallery, craft shops and small boutiques.

There are also a good number of coastal walks. We enjoyed several on a packed day out, but my favourite was a walk through the mixed woods dotted with pines to Ravensheugh Sands and onto a rocky promontory known as St Baldred's Cradle. The photo below makes it look more like a Mediterranean scene due to this fine weather we've been enjoying since early May.

The day was rounded off with a heritage trail walk through the one time significant town of Haddington with some elegant public buildings and picturesquely located on the River Tyne. This is a tour worth adding to Roaming Scotland's repertoire.