We’ve been enjoying a prolonged spell of good weather in our part of the country, and a few weeks ago we took advantage of the sunshine and warmth to have a little day trip to Cramond Island and the Edinburgh-Kyoto Friendship Garden.
Cramond Island sits about a mile off the coast of Cramond village in the Firth of Forth. At low tide, it’s possible to walk the causeway that connects the island with the mainland, and Queensferry Lifeboat Association helpfully provide safe crossing times for every day of the year.
Cramond Island was part of the defences during both world wars and the abandoned gun batteries and searchlight stations are still standing today. It’s a small island and it took us about an hour and a half to meander around the buildings and along the beach at a leisurely pace.
Back on the mainland, we visited the nearby Edinburgh-Kyoto Friendship Garden set in the grounds of Lauriston Castle. Spring is my favourite time of year to visit the Japanese-inspired garden as the cherry blossoms are in bloom.
My husband and I wandered around the gardens reminiscing about the places we visited in Kyoto on our honeymoon, chatting about adding a few Japanese plants to our own garden and simply enjoying the beauty and peacefulness of our surroundings.
Both Cramond Island and the Edinburgh-Kyoto Friendship Gardens are a little off the beaten path and as a result weren’t overly crowded when we visited, and it was lovely to enjoy a leisurely wander in the spring sunshine. Have a lovely week. X
I had never heard of either of these places. Nice to learn about somewhere new. The Cherry blossom looks beautiful and I love islands, even tidal ones. X
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I like finding new places too, it was a lovely day out. 😊
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Aw, what a lovely day for you and your husband. X
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Thank you for sharing Cramond and these lovely gardens. I must tell my sister about the gardens. She lives in Fife. We visited Cramond as children but it is so long ago…
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Both are lovely places for a stroll and a picnic. 😊
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what beautiful pictures and an idyllic weekend!
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What a peaceful place to enjoy the cherry blossom!
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So breathtakingly beautiful!! Off the beaten path destinations are always wonderful to explore ❤️
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