Barns Ness

We ended up on this clear, bright day, lunching at Smeaton Nursery Cafe and then driving to Whitesands Bay. The tide was low but, the beach being particularly cold and windy, we turned east, towards Barns Ness.

From a previous visit I recall these regular hollows in the limestone, which showed up well in reflecting the blue sky. They are part of a coastal stretch of geological interest where many fossils and evidence of changing climatic and geographical conditions occurs.
There is an excellent short guide published by the Lothian and Borders RIGS Group, which describes these hollows as approximately 1m across, partly lined with 'seatearth', a fossil wetland soil, full of preserved roots. The hollows are an original feature of the limestone, perhaps formed when the sea retreated to expose the top, allowing a forest to grow on this new land. It is possible each pothole is the location of the roots of an individual tree. The illustrations are very clear and we can also use this guide to help identify some of the fossils we have previously collected from the area.

Sufficiently aerated, we did not walk as far as the lighthouse but returned to the warmth of the car and home.