Sunday 3 January 2010

Orion's Belt ( But not as we know it )

Fidra, Lamb and Craigleith make up the North Berwick '3.  Combined with Bass Rock they make for a good paddle.  On their own, as a group of three, they are easily do-able on a summer's evening.





Fidra, the leftmost island above houses a lighthouse and can be landed on in calm weather.  There is a landing stage on the east side of the island.  However, there is also a small pebble beach on the southern side than can be used by kayaks. 






The lighthouse was completed in 1885.  It's now pretty much a bird reserve, with a webcam operated by the Scottish Seabird Centre.














The island is said to be the inspiration behind Robert Louis Stevenson's 'Treasure Island'.  It's easy to forget that Edinburgh is half an hour's drive from here !









Craigleith, seen here through the whalebones on North Berwick Law, is the first island to be reached from North Berwick.  Home to seals, and, hopefully, an increasing population of puffins.  In relatively recent years, the island has suffered from an abundance of tree mallow.  This has taken over the island and resulted in a decline in puffin numbers.  Measures are now in place for an annual purge of tree mallow in an effort to encourage other plant species to grow and provide suitable nesting sites for the puffins.

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