Crammond Harbour

This morning I pootled off to crammond to have a coffee by the sea. Was nice to have my phone; I looked up the area and found out I was sitting on the oldest known inhabited place in Scotland, and site of much history - and site of one of the Roman's forts before their southerly retreat to Hadrian's wall.

I also discovered that I was near the house of JK Rowling, so set off towards the canal with my eyes peeled.

Came back to town along the Union Canal, then set about cleaning my room. Believe me, it really, really needed it.

I always love cycling along the canal - it's like a transect through Edinburgh; it pays no heed to the political geographies of the city - indeed, it was built before much of the city was, in 1822. From where I joined it at Gogar (passing the headquarters of RBS) it took me though Sighthill, Craiglockhart and Slateford before heading to the city proper. Not only is it a visual tour, but a 'smelling tour' of sorts - as you pass Burton's biscuit factory and the North British distillery that makes The Famous Grouse, amongst other whiskeys. I felt a little sorry for the joggers struggling on though the biscuity mire, subconsciously associating jogging and jammy dodgers.

Here you can see the River Almond flowing into the Forth. (crammond is old-speak for mouth of the river Almond)