I awoke in my bivi in a small woodland by the Union Canal. This would be my third day of canal walking, now just a few miles from Edinburgh and the East Coast of Scotland.

Sunday 14th August 2016

Packed up fairly early and got walking. Stopped at Muivavonside country park for breakfast (from Tesco the night before). Over the Avon Aqueduct and into Linlithgow before midday. Lunch by the castle/palace.

Linlithgow is a nice sunny Royal Burgh (Scottish town) which was once one of the principal residences of the Scottish monarchy. I was particularly impressed by their public toilet facilities which featured a 50p shower for tramps like me!

Continued along canal, was planning to stop at a café in Broxburn but it turned out to a shithole, so I continued on.

Sorry Broxburnians, but the top search result on Google for “Broxburnians” is an alcohol rehab page so I stand by my journal entry. My guidebook actually provided an alternative route for vulnerable walkers. This bypassed Broxburn because the author reckoned it was now more dangerous than the old “Thieves Road” I would be walking on the next day.

Over and under another aqueduct and through a nice country park to Mid-Calder to “a country pub” that was more like a night club. Went into Calderwood to bivi it up.

Distance: 21.4 miles [view on map]

Spending: £13