Train Travels with Arthur: The Leuchie Lighthouse Trail in North Berwick, Scotland
Hello everyone! It’s been a while since I last wrote a post for our blog. In fact, I just realised that it has been since last January when I helped Walter write about our trip to Loch Ness. Therefore, I was thrilled when Dad told me that I would not only be writing one article, but I was going to start a new series – ‘Train Travels with Arthur’. Now, don’t worry, Dad assures me that we will still be publishing posts that feature both my brother, Walter, and I. However, I’m still in training to be a tour guide for our Edinburgh walking tours and this gives me a chance to explore while training. What’s even more exciting is that Dad told me that many of the adventures he has planned involve us taking the train. I absolutely love to ‘ride the rails’ (a phrase I heard Walter use) and ‘explore and discover’. So, sit back and relax, while I tell you about my trip to North Berwick, Scotland for a unique ‘Lighthouse Trail’!
Arthur’s North Berwick Lighthouse Trail Adventure
It was a beautifully sunny day, and I had just finished eating my breakfast when I heard Dad talking to Mom about a trip to North Berwick. My ears instantly perked up at this because we have been there many times for fun explorations. I looked over at Walter to see if he had heard it too, but he was already fast asleep. He had a busy day helping Dad with tours the day before, and it was apparent he was resigned to the fact that it was a rest day for him. I, on the other paw, was bouncing around with energy and Mom and Dad agreed that I should channel that enthusiasm towards some training.
If I’m honest, I have to admit that I probably could use some work on my impulse control. Walter says that I need to understand that sometimes we have to sit and wait. Now, for the most part, I’m a laid-back kind of guy and this isn’t a problem for me. However, sometimes I don’t always want to sit and be patient while Mom or Dad are doing something. For example, Dad says that I must learn to be patient while he is telling his stories on our walking tours. To be clear, I love Dad’s stories, but I guess I need to brush up on my timing skills and understand that I don’t always have to be the centre of attention. Although, when we are in the Edinburgh city centre, it sure seems as though most of the visitors are there to see me. After all, I get showered with attention wherever I go.
So, it’s a bit embarrassing to admit, but I may or may not have been a little too antsy while guiding some of our tours. Dad wanted to keep stopping, but I wanted to keep going so that my adoring fans could see me. Walter was mortified when he found out. I heard him mutter something about us having a reputation to uphold as the canine tour guides of Wee Walking Tours. Needless, to say, Walter sent me back to the minors do some more training (I think that’s a phrase related to sports but I’m not sure because I’m not as athletic as him). He said I can return to guiding tours when I can show “more decorum” - whatever that means.
Anyway, the good news is that Dad and I have done some fun explorations with just the two of us, and he said I did great. He wants to keep up my training by giving me lots of practice to encounter all kinds of scenarios that will help me work on important skills I need to learn or improve on.
Which brings me back to the morning of our trip to North Berwick. I trotted alongside Dad as he packed our adventure backpack, watching closely to ensure that he packed all the essentials - water, water dish, and treats. Okay, that last one isn’t strictly essential, but I do love getting a little reward here and there. Although probably not as much as Walter (don’t tell him I said that).
Mom helped me finish getting ready - putting on my harness and purple vest. Speaking of which, I wish that mine still didn’t say ‘Tour Guide (In-Training)’. I suppose that probably relates to my need for more impulse control training - which I guess I understand. I just hope it doesn’t make people think I’m still a baby (even though Mom calls me her “little baby boy” all the time🙄).
Once we were all packed and ready to go, Dad and I set out on the bus to Waverley train station in the city centre. It’s a very fascinating place, and you can learn more about it if you go on our ‘Makars’ Court to Scott Monument’ walking tour.
We made our way to the platform, and, before you I knew it, we were boarding. Once Dad found his seat, I quickly made myself comfortable under his legs and decided to take a wee nap.
It didn’t seem like my eyes had been closed for long when I woke up as I felt Dad stirring. As we disembarked the train, I stopped on the platform to gather my bearings as this was the first time we arrived in North Berwick via train. At that moment, I realised that I didn’t even know what was on the agenda for the day. But I didn’t really care because I just love to spend time with Dad on our explorations. As we walked along, Dad told me all about our plan for the day.
We were on our way to take part in the Leuchie Lighthouse Trail. Leuchie is the national charity that provides essential respite breaks for people living with long-term neurological conditions and their families. They are celebrating their 15th anniversary as an independent charity. So, in partnership with Wild in Art (an organisation that helps to produce public art trails), they arranged for artists to create 15, 8ft. lighthouse sculptures, and then set them up all around North Berwick. The trail was to run from 1 July to 21 August 2026. The lighthouses would then be auctioned off to raise funds for Leuchie.
Dad said he wasn’t sure if we would be able to visit all of the lighthouses, but we would try to find as many as possible. And, considering that there are so many, I’ve made the executive decision that I will just highlight some of my favourites. It didn’t take long to find our first lighthouse because it was at the train station! It is titled, ‘Coffee Break’ and was created by Teréz Szilvia Huszár. I think that it is one my Dad appreciated because he loves coffee. I thought it was funny and enjoyed it as well, but I was also trying to figure out which direction we should go next. Fortunately, Dad is the one with the map.
I decided to pose for another quick picture from a different angle of the ‘Coffee Break’ lighthouse with my new Highland cow pal.
The next lighthouse featured some more friends from the animal kingdom. It was very creative because the lighthouse looked like a tree. It is titled, ‘Wild Folk of the Old Oak’ by artist, Jodie Silverman.
You see the ice cream cone on their head too, right?
This lighthouse was meant to capture “that infectious, belly-laugh joy of childhood holidays and carefree days spent playing by the coast” and is titled ‘Dizzy Lights’. I think that the artist, Jina Gelder, nailed it because those puffins sure looked to be having a grand time.
This adorable fella is Sammy the seal and his lighthouse is called, ‘SEALight Keeper’ and was done by Nicola Mills.
Our trail walk sure came with some spectacular views. Although Dad says we ventured a bit further than needed because there were just too many picturesque places for me to pose at. Even though it was a bit blustery (you can probably tell by the face I’m making in the middle photo below), we still enjoyed ourselves in the warm summer sun.
Dad said I looked very adorable in this photo. Walter isn’t the only one the camera loves.😉
What is this person looking at? Oh wait - it’s a statue!
Dad told me that that’s the Bass Rock in the distance. He and Mom recently went on one of the boat trips that are offered through the Scottish Seabird Centre. It was a Seafari (not to be confused with the sniffaris I like to go on) to see the Bass Rock up close along with another island, Craigleith. I’ve seen some of their pictures from the trip (Walter and I stayed home for that one), and it looks like they had a lot of fun. They even saw some of the area’s famous puffins flying around Craigleith. Dad said they’ll write about the Seabird Centre and the Seafari soon. The good news is that Walter and I actually got to visit the Seabird Centre, and, because they are dog-friendly, we got to go inside. I can’t wait for you to see and hear all about that…stay tuned!
Speaking of the Scottish Seabird Centre, this lighthouse was in front of it. It is titled, ‘Life @ Sea’, and was created by Pip Claffey. Appropriately, it featured some delightful puffins.
I quickly realised that what I initially thought was a pirate ship, was actually an homage to Robert Louis Stevenson’s iconic book, ‘Treasure Island’. I absolutely love a good pirate story, and that is one of the best!
Dad told me that this lighthouse features important symbols related to the sea. For example, its name, ‘The Silver Darlings’ (by artist Kate Bogie), refers to the nickname given to herring which were an integral (Dad’s word) part of the Scottish fishing industry. As for the painting of the woman on the lighthouse, the description below it mentioned the famous ‘herring lasses’ - the women who would gut and pack the ‘silver darlings’ as fast as possible to prevent them from rotting.
However, Dad said it also looks like a depiction of a fishwife based on her outfit. This had me quite perplexed because that woman sure didn’t look like a fish. Dad laughed when he saw the look of confusion on my face and explained that fishwives were an important part of the Scotland’s maritime heritage because they would haul the fish from the shore and sell it in town. If you’re interested, you can read more about our blog post on Newhaven where you will find more history about these fascinating women as well as some really cool historical photos.
Related to maritime history, we will soon be publishing an article on our blog about our visit to The Scottish Fisheries Museum. Walter and I didn’t get to go inside, but we were happy to pose for some photos outside. We also thoroughly enjoyed our visit around the coastal town, Anstruther, where it is located.
As we walked along, Dad mentioned that one area that I excel at when it comes to having my picture taken is making great eye contact with the camera. I know Walter is the professional poser, but I think I might have given him a run for his money.😉
The last lighthouse I will feature is called ‘Shine a Light on Albion’ by Anne-Marie Byrne. I was particularly fond of it because it had some of my favourite Scottish writers, symbols, and artefacts all in one sitting room. I mean, who doesn’t love Greyfriars Bobby?!
Here are a few more lighthouses we saw on the trail:
Fortunately, our train ride back to Edinburgh was uneventful. As we settled onto the bus, I gladly tucked in next to Dad’s feet as we finally made our way home. Even though I was tired, I had so much fun and I couldn’t wait to get home to tell Walter all about it.
Supporting Leuchie
I can’t believe how many new ‘friends’ I met in North Berwick along the Lighthouse Trail. In fact, we were able to visit all 15 lighthouses. I hope you have enjoyed hearing all about them as much as I loved my ‘explore and discover’ mission. We also hope that we have been able to ‘shine a light on Leuchie’ with this post. Now that the trail and auction are finished, Mom told me that they were able to raise £255,000! I’m so happy to hear that because the money is going to such an important cause - helping a wonderful charity provide much-needed breaks for people living with neurological conditions and the families who care for them. Please be sure to visit the Leuchie website for more information on the charity including how you can donate.
Here’s to More Adventures!
Walter wants me to remind you all to be sure to “hit that subscribe button at the bottom of this post” so you can easily follow along with my other train travels around Scotland as soon as they’re published. Dad says that we have some exciting adventures planned, so it would be nice if you would like to join us. Plus, you will also get more fun articles that feature both Walter and I.
Speaking of the both of us, you can also follow our adventures on our social media channels- Facebook, Bluesky, Instagram, Threads, YouTube, and TikTok. I don’t know what all of that means, but Walter assures me that we make regular ‘appearances’ in our quest to help you see and learn more about our beautiful homeland - Scotland.
Walter also wants me to tell you that, “if you are in our fair capital city, be sure to book one of our entertaining and historical Edinburgh walking tours”. Who knows, maybe you’ll see me on one of them some day. In the meantime, I better get back to my training.
Until next time- Explore & Discover!
p.s. Be on the lookout for more articles in my series, ‘Train Travels with Arthur’.
