When walking a coast path, don’t forget to visit the beach

Published 25 July 2021

A pair of feet resting on the beach of Coldingham Bay, Berwickshire

I recently completed two coastal trails – the Northumberland Coast Path, followed by the Berwickshire Coast Path.

Both were lovely, in different ways. But by far the best bit of both was the time spent on the beach with the old boots off.

The photograph here is from the beach at Coldingham Bay in Berwickshire, Scotland. And I almost didn’t stop. But if you can’t stop on the beach whilst walking a coastal trail, what can you do?

Sometimes I get a bit fixated on getting to my destination when out walking. Almost like I feel the need to get there as soon as possible. I will stop but it’s rare I’ll stop for more than 20 minutes when out by myself. It just doesn’t happen.

But why? It’s not a race to the end. Walking should be a good time to rest and relax. And resting is important. Relaxing is important.

Sometimes you got to relax.

On a completely unrelated note, Rambling Man’s going off on it’s almost traditional break until mid to late September. I normally have two short breaks a year – one around Christmas, and one over summer. And obviously this is the summer one.

I will be back, but I need some time to recharge my batteries. To relax. To unwind.

Also I have about 1,000 photographs to sort through from a weeks walking, along with a lot of writing to do. There’s a lot to say about those two walking trails, and I’ve got a host of other pieces half finished. Having a little break from publishing will give me a chance to catch up.

Whatever you are doing this summer, do try to fit in some time to unwind and relax. We all need it.

See you soon.

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