Further afield

Right now, with most of Scotland in level 4 restrictions due to the pandemic, it isn’t possible to go far. Hopefully it will be possible soon to go a bit further, as restrictions ease and more folk will be vaccinated. To that end I’ve made a list of places in Scotland and a wee bit further afield that I might want to go to when it’s possible to go.

Embleton Bay, Northumberland – facing towards Dunstanburgh Castle – a beach on a grey, cloudy day with a ruined castle on a raised section of land in the centre of the image.

• Northumberland – Berwick and Bamburgh beach particularly. I would like a walk around the walls at Berwick, to look out to sea and down the coast, and to imagine these walls besieged. Bamburgh beach is glorious in all weathers, particularly on a bracingly cold day.
• Edinburgh – what I wouldn’t give to have an hour in the Botanics.
• Dunbar – ditto for Belhaven beach. The world just feels further away there.
• Iona – I was watching a TV programme earlier about Mull and its surrounding islands and it made me want to travel to Oban and get on a ferry.
• Durham – I was there about a year ago and looked at the pictures recently. A few minutes sitting in the Cathedral would be ideal, just to think, look and be.
• The Borders – Melrose and St Abbs particularly. Very different places and geographically spread out but both interesting.

In the meantime, Glasgow will more than do and there’s plenty to explore here. I was in Bellahouston Park recently and the cold day and the white on the hills was something else. I’ve come to realise that the nearest places can yield just as much interest and joy as those further afield, even if being able to go further would be excellent too.