taking a photo of an arch of twigs
on the beach.” “I doubt it: looks like
someone having fun,” I reply.” “Well,
as long as it’s kids playing, and not the
Arts Council or anything that we have
to pay for. Still, the dog does like to pee
on it.” Later, while trying to find a path
to Gullane Point, I manage to fall into
an electric fence while trying to push
the wires down with my sticks. I get
three bolts before I untangle myself.
The sparks are dramatic in the
darkness. On the upside,
I don’t feel tired any more.
The English border must be getting
close: the castles are enormous, and
their histories are bloody. I have four
hours of night hiking tonight towards
an almost-full moon. Occasional seal
calls emanate from the blackness.
There’s a biting wind, a clear starry
sky and huge seacliffs that catch the
silvery light. Tonight, at St Abbs Head,
will be the last time I can enjoy the
Scottish access laws and pitch
my tent where I choose.
My last day in Scotland is defined
by the sunny-then-stormy weather
and friendly encounters with a
photographer from Edinburgh and
being invited out of the wind for a
cuppa at St Abbs Lifeboat Station. I’ve
always felt like a foreigner in Scotland,
but I’ve always been treated as a friend.
As the sun sets, a full moon rises
over the North Sea while I progress
along high moonlit cliffs towards
England. After many hours of night
hiking, the torch picks out a modest
sign by the edge of a field, which reads
“The English Border”. I enter the gate
and turn around to smile at the much
larger “Welcome to Alba” sign. It’s
been 195 days of walking since
I last saw a notice like this, at
Gretna Green in the west.
The footpath ahead is hemmed in
between a corridor of barbed wire.
I’m in a different nation now.ike Prague or Oxford,
Edinburgh is so attractive
that it’s hard to take a photo
with any authorship – but it’s
a joy to try in the four days I’m here.
The creative challenge comes when
cities are designed with consideration:
the views, silhouettes and spatial
relationships have been conceived
so all one can do with the camera is
portray the ideas of others, either
more or less strongly. The city also
hosts enough cashmere and tweed
shops to stuff a whale-sized haggis.
“Are we paying for this?” a dog
walker asks me at Portobello as I’mQuintin Lake prepares a fond farewell
to the Scottish leg of his epic tour
Perimeter
L
Perimeter
Quintin Lake
Roving photographer
Quintin is on a multi-year
photo walk, circumnavigating
the whole of the UK coast.
http://www.theperimeter.ukMy last day in Scotland was full
of drama from dawn to dusk,
with a full moon, storm winds
and clear skies. The spring tide
at Eyemouth is renowned for
its massive waves. Still, it was
the sidelight illuminating the
central crest, in contrast to the
dark houses behind, that made
this shot especially enjoyable.
I used a shutter speed of
1/8,000 sec to freeze
each droplet of water.This month’s route
Edinburgh to Berwick-Upon-Tweed
7 days, 90 miles. Total: 5,622 miles102 DIGITAL CAMERA^ APRIL 2020 http://www.digitalcameraworld.com