2025 Calendar - ready to order!

My 2025 calendar is ready to order! They should be ready to post out to you around mid November.

The subject this year is Exploring Scotland, places I have travelled to in my role as ScotRail Community Rail Champion and while working on my ongoing long-term Scotland By Rail project. Stirling features, and Linlithgow, Fort George, Rothiemurchus forest, the Bass Rock (train then boat!) and lots more.

Order yours here - order form - 2025 calendar, winter cards, engravings, books

The order form also includes my winter cards, these four designs:

Order here - order form - 2025 calendar, winter cards, engravings, books

And my miniature wood engravings:

Order here - order form - 2025 calendar, winter cards, engravings, books

And my Sketches from Canada book:

Order here - order form - 2025 calendar, winter cards, engravings, books

Scotland By Rail - Eskbank to Dalkeith Country Park & Palace

A 2.5km walk (40 ish minutes) from Eskbank station on the Borders Line to Dalkeith Country Park and Dalkeith Palace where Visual Arts Scotland Centenary Show (part 2) takes place until 25th August.

Eskbank station, set in a cutting, panoramic skies and Pentlands from the footbridge and station car park:

There are various routes you can take from station to county park, have a look on the O.S. or Google maps to choose. I so love exploring like this. I made a circular walk, there along quiet streets and traffic-free paths through new housing in old estate land, back along a main road past interesting Dalkeith shops. 

Or just follow the signs which start immediately outside the station, on the side the trains stop at:

New and old. Spot the unicorn:

Follow the signs:

Through Dalkeith town centre:

Through the gates and you're in Dalkeith Country Park. There's a lot to see on the way and once you're there:

Dalkeith Palace where Now and Then: Dalkeith Palace (Visual Arts Scotland Centenary Show - Part 2) is open daily until 25th August:

It is a really exciting huge exhibition, great to see:

Here are lots of photos, taken for VAS by Robin Mair. Find him on Instagram: @robin_mair_photography

Many of the artists who are taking part, photographed on the opening night:

Again, with many thanks to @robin_mair_photography for all the above wonderful photos.

More info:

www.visualartsscotland.org/exhibitions

VAS SOCIALS:

Instagram: @visual.arts.scotland

Twitter: @VisualArtsScot

Facebook: Visual Arts Scotland

This is my own painting on the wall in the exhibition:

a glow on the moor

acrylic on canvas 

61x61cm

And my three works in the 30x30cm (or less) browsers:

curlew 

east coast rain

sleeping seal

Then once you've seen the exhibition you have the whole park still to explore. 

The river:

Beautiful old oak woodland:

Café, bridges, adventure playground, and more:

Dalkeith Country Park is currently open 7am to 7pm. 

www.dalkeithcountrypark.co.uk/plan-a-visit/

Visual Arts Scotland Centenary exhibition ends on Sunday 25th August at 4pm.

More info:

www.visualartsscotland.org/exhibitions

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Trains to Eskbank depart Edinburgh Waverley hourly Monday to Saturday and a bit less frequently on Sunday.

Check before your journey at - www.scotrail.co.uk

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Thank you for reading my Scotland By Rail blog. Spread the word and let me know about your own favourite railway days out.

Leo du Feu

ScotRail Community Rail Champion

August 2024

#ScotlandByRail #CommunityRailChampion on facebook, instagram, twitter

Scotland By Rail - Longniddry to Aberlady Bay

 

4-5km walk from Longniddry station to Aberlady village and Scottish Ornithologist's Club's Waterston House gallery to see a Visual Arts Scotland exhibition.

Starting with an early morning walk from our home to Burntisland station:

At Waverley station, enjoying the plantings between my trains:

Glimpses of the sea as the train sped towards Longniddry. Across from the station I found The Filling Station and the Village Shop, unfortunately I'd already gathered my lunch in Edinburgh.

Ten minute walk along a leafy suburban pavement, look out for the grand West Gate of the Gosford Estate:

Soon you're at the shore:

With views to Fife, the three Forth bridges, Arthur's Seat:

Time for a sketch at Gosford Bay:

sun

wind

gulls

sea

The tide was out and my hair blew everywhere as I walked across the sands at Gosford Bay:

Coastal treasures at Gosford Bay. Sea sandwort (correct me if I'm wrong):

Over the bridge and into the woods:

Past wartime tank defences:

The most incredible tree people. Sycamores:

Along the John Muir Way and the SOC's Waterston House appears beyond the cabbages:

I detoured past Waterston House and continued on to Aberlady village and down past the graveyard to the shore at Kilspindie, Aberlady Bay. Spot the (poorly photographed) dragonfly.

Then 15 minutes at the shore sketching this lapwing and watching a grey plover:

At last to Waterston House for my first visit in far too many years. The same lovely friendly welcome as always, it was so nice to be back.

In the meadow, for the first time this summer I saw a semi-decent number of butterflies - peacock, red admiral, whites:

Finishing with Visual Arts Scotland's exhibition in the beautiful setting of the Waterston House gallery space.

'Hope' is the thing with feathers

the-soc.org.uk/pages/exhibition/hope-is-a-thing-with-feathers

My piece in the exhibition is

Isle of May, seabird colony

watercolour & ink on paper 

The exhibition runs until 15th September. Wed - Sun 10 - 5.

visualartsscotland.org/exhibition/scottish-ornithologists-club-partnership-exhibition

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Trains to Longniddry depart Edinburgh Waverley hourly, sometimes more frequently.

Check before your journey at - www.scotrail.co.uk

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Thank you for reading my Scotland By Rail blog. Spread the word and let me know about your own favourite railway days out.

Leo du Feu

ScotRail Community Rail Champion

August 2024

#ScotlandByRail #CommunityRailChampion on facebook, instagram, twitter