EK News Article: Eric Kent The latest Duncanrig Ramblers walk was our annual mystery walk. We had the bus making some initial manoeuvres to try to throw everyone off the destination but as this was a completely a new area for the mystery walk were all caught short on the final destination which was Pencaitland in East Lothian. Before we actually started the walk we had another surprise which was morning tea /coffee with jam and cream filled scones which were a very pleasant surprise. The stop to enjoy this fine snack was at the distinctive Maitlandfield Hotel on the outskirts of Haddington. The weather on the day was kind to us with clear outlook but cold with ice forming on the puddles.  After the poor recent weather everyone was in fine spirits and keen to get going at the start of the walk and we set off from the start of the Pencaitland Railway walk at Chalkieside which is close to the old mining village of Cousland which has its origins back in the 14th century. Being a flat walk we made good time and passed a number of way markers which told you roughly the location of some of the eight mines along the railway route.  Other than supply coal to Edinburgh (“Auld Reekie”) fires the traffic on this branch included potatoes, pit props, strawberries and that most Scottish of cargoes, malt whisky. Further along the old line we were fortunate to catch sight of a small group of Roe Deer which were as keen to watch our group as we were to watch them. We soon passed close by to the village of Ormiston. Ormiston is said to be Scotland's first planned village and has a very attractive main street. Using strict guidelines for its appearance, John Cockburn the father of Scottish agricultural husbandry put housing for artisans and cottage industries (spinning and weaving) around the original mill hamlet. When he did not achieve the expected return on his investment, he sold it to the Earl of Hopetoun in 1747. The linen trade became a failure, and by 1811 the distillery shut down. A brewery and one of Scotland's first bleach fields were also built here as well. Ormiston later became a mining village (Ormiston Coal Company). Shortly after this we cut off the railway line for a circular detour round the scenic woodland paths through grounds of Winton House. A masterpiece of the Scottish Renaissance with famous stone twisted chimneys and magnificent plaster ceilings. A family home, still after 500 years with many treasures inside, including paintings by some of Scotland's most notable artists, fine furniture and a family exhibition of costumes and photographs. The grounds are complete with some great specimen tress and lovely terraced gardens. The house is owned by Sir Francis and Lady Ogilvy. After viewing the house from the grounds we worked our way back to the railway track again and continued on the old track to Pencaitland village where we passed by the edge of a large industrial maltings, which was built in 1965.

The land where the village lies is said to have been granted by William the Lion to Calum Cormack in 1169, who gave the church, with the tithes and other property belonging to it, to the monks of Kelso, in whose possession it remained till a short time prior to the accession of Robert Bruce. The land subsequently became the property of a younger branch of the Maxwell family, who granted the land income and tithes to the monks of Dryburgh, who held them until the Reformation. The River Tyne divides the village into Easter Pencaitland and Wester Pencaitland, crossed by a three-arched bridge dating from the 16th Century. An ancient cross in Wester Pencaitland indicates that there would probably have been a market there.  The last stretch of the walk in the fading winter light passed by close to the Glenkinchie distillery and finished near the Barley Mill on the River Humbie. Established in 1837 with plenty of water from the nearby Lammermuir hills and barley from the rich agricultural countryside of East Lothian comes Glenkinchie, the Classic Malt of the Lowlands. As the distillery is so close to the Capital, it is known as by whisky connoisseurs as the “The Edinburgh Malt”. We returned back to Haddington and the same hotel where we had a high tea and other refreshments before we all happily returned to the coach and back to East Kilbride.