Saturday 9 February 2019

Walking the Innocent Railway

Very changeable weather today, one minute blue skies and sunshine, the next it's raining though all day thwe wind has been strong. We went for a lovely walk along the Innocent Railway which is now a pathway but started off as a horse drawn railway taking coal from Dalkeith to Edinburgh


It's surrounded on both sides by trees and wetlands

We were delighted to see seven teal on one of the small ponds, though only one got into this photo that Crafty Green Boyfriend took

There's plenty to see too right at the side of the path, like these earth star fungi


and the white and grey candle snuff fungi growing in the moss on the tree stumps

The Innocent Railway emerges at the foot of Arthurs Seat, which was looking beautiful in the sunshine


The magificent cliffs of Arthurs Seat and also Salisbury Crags (see photo below) are very popular with geology students

and we meet another cute little grey squirrel






6 comments:

Simon Douglas Thompson said...

I've never seen a teal close up! They are very handsome birds!

Jeff (Sage) said...

Nice spottings. Where did the name of the path of the horse-pulled railway come? "Innocent"?

Draffin Bears said...

Hi Juliet,

Looks like a wonderful place to walk and I enjoyed seeing your photos.
Happy weekend
hugs
Carolyn

RG said...

Rails to trails - gotta love it!!! Especially if no more opportunity for the railroad. Many all over the northern part of USA from old logging railroads.

Crafty Green Poet said...

Hi Simon - yes teal are very handsome

Jeff - it was called innocent, because horses were seen as innocent compared to damaging coal fuelled engines

Thanks Carolyn

Rabbits Guy - we've got a lot of old railway lines that became unprofitable and are now walkways.

Pietro Brosio said...

Interesting to see the railway which is now a pathway surrounded by trees. A nice walk indeed, with very nice photographs.