This is a twist on my vegan Auntie Eileen’s egg mayo sandwiches. The beetroot gives a zesty twist to the egg tofu and is packed with potassium, vitamin A, iron and antioxidants, making this a healthy option for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
Ingredients
1 beetroot, peeled, roasted and finely chopped
1 block firm tofu
1 tsp kala namak salt
1 tsp turmeric
3 tbsp vegan mayo
Two slices sourdough toast
Salad and chopped spring onion, to garnish
Method
First, press the tofu for an hour, using a tofu press, or by wrapping the tofu in a tea towel, placing it in a sieve, suspending it over a bowl and placing heavy books on top.
Mash the tofu up using a potato masher or with your hands. You don’t need to marinade the tofu with this recipe, as you are adding such strong flavours.
Mix the mayo, kala namak salt, turmeric and chopped beetroot into the mashed tofu.
Serve on toasted sourdough garnished with salad and enjoy!
If, like us, you get a weekly Oddbox veg delivery and recently received a kohl rabi in it, you might, like us, have wondered what to do with it. Should you find yourself taking ownership of some kohl rabi in the near future, we’ve got you covered with this easy and delicious plant based roasted kohl rabi with mustard tofu recipe!
As always with tofu, you’ll need to press and marinade it at least a day and preferably up to three days before eating. You can press it using a tofu press, or by wrapping it in a tea towel, placing it in a sieve over a large bowl, and putting some heavy books on top of it.
Ingredients
1 whole kohl rabi
1 block tofu
100g green beans, topped and tailed
2 tbsp mustard
2 tbsp soy sauce or tamari
3 tbsp sesame oil
1 lemon
1 clove garlic
Handful of rocket and black sesame seeds to garnish
Method
At least 1 day in advance, and preferably up to 3, press the tofu.
Prepare the tofu marinade with 2 tbsp sesame oil, 2 tbsp mustard, 2 tbsp soy sauce and a pinch of salt.
Chop the tofu into 1cm cubes, toss in the marinade, and refrigerate. Cover the container with the marinade and tofu in it.
Preheat the oven to 180C.
Peel the kohl rabi, topping and tailing it and peeling off the outer skin then chopping into 1cm cubes.
Drizzle with 1 tbsp sesame oil, and a pinch of salt, and bake for 20 minutes.
After 20 minutes, add the tofu, making sure the kohl rabi is covered by the marinade too.
Bake for a further 30 minutes.
Five minutes before taking out of the oven, steam the green beans and toss them in 2tbsp soy sauce, the juice of the lemon, and the chopped garlic clove.
Serve the tofu and kohl rabi on the bed of green beans, and garnished with rocket and sesame seeds.
Like most of us, we went into 2021 feeling hopeful that we were coming to the end of the pandemic, that with the introduction of vaccinations we’d all be out of the woods soon and back to normal life by maybe … Spring? Summer at the latest, anyway.
As we all know, it didn’t quite turn out like that. You don’t need us to rehash the last twelve months – we all know how it went. Yet despite the restrictions and gloom and ups and downs, we managed to make 2021 a year that we’re saying goodbye to with some memories that make us smile. We’ve climbed hills and mountains, cycled along green country lanes, swum in the sea at both ends of the country, watched dolphins burst out of the water so they were almost close enough to touch, and eaten lots and lots of delicious (plant-based) food.
Colin swimming in An Lochan Uaine
2021 Review: Favourite swim
CAROLINE : Hard to chooose, but my favourite was probably a swim in a little loch near Aviemore called Loch Vaa. It was a beautiful, hot August day and the water was at least 12 degrees and felt wonderful in the hot sun. We both did handstands and swam as the children played on the shore. A perfect Scottish swim. I also had a lovely swim on my birthday in October in Loch Lubnaig. First thing in the morning, the water was as chilly and clear as you’d expect on a late autumn morning in Scotland. – the best way to start a birthday, and a new year of my life.
COLIN: I doubt I’m alone when I say that choosing a top swim is a challenge! Selecting the one that got away is, sadly, somewhat easier.
The swim that escaped me was the Ullswater Chill Swim, a seven-mile summertime epic from Glenridding to Pooley Bridge. Two weeks before the event I was struck down with Covid. Despite being at peak fitness, with regular winter swims and longer training swims behind me, overnight I went from a strong swimmer capable of swimming several sea miles to a weak swimmer who couldn’t bear the cold and who struggled to do 100m. It was a real blow, and while I’m still not back to the level of swim-fit I was in June I’ve high hopes for 2022!
So while the big Chill Swim escaped me, there were a plenty of other cracking swims during 2021. A night swim down the River Cam under a full moon. A freezing Loch Morlich dip with my sister. My first ice kilometre and other numb, fun swims with the Wardie Shiver Club. A roasting splashabout in Loch Vaa with my wife, kids and cousins and their families. A swoosh down the River Teith. The Fairy Pools with my son.
But with Wardie Bay on my doorstep until our move down south, it’s hardly surprising three of my favourite swims hail from there. In February, plummeting temperatures froze the sand and saw sea water turn to icy slush on the shore. On one particular day, big easterly winds brought in some serious waves, the remnants of a huge storm out to sea. The water was challenging 3.8C. My friends Lachlan, Christa and Tine and I went in anyway. Too stormy even for the surfers, we bounced about in the icy waves; gleeful, high, joyous. Massive grins and numb fingers.
Brrrrrrrilliant swimming at Wardie Bay last winter.
Another top swim was with my friend Sam, when we swam from Wardie Bay to Newhaven Harbour and back for the first time. At around 2.8k there and back, it’s not a particularly long swim, but it was the first time I’d done it and there was a real pleasure in kicking off the harbour wall for the return leg, and experiencing the changing currents and flow for this great bay swim. He and I swam it a few times and I can’t wait to give it another go.
My third Wardie Swim was one of my last. A fond farewell swim with many of the fine folk, all of them friends, who we’d had the pleasure of swimming with over the past few years. Family aside, that’s what I miss most about leaving Scotland.
As much as these were all swimming highlights, my favourite swim of the year wasn’t about pushing the distance or braving the cold. It was jumping off rocks into a Trossachs loch with my friends George and Jen. I was still recovering from Covid – the week before a 100m swim had proved exhausting – so we’d opted for a splashabout instead. We cycled for a few km along bike trails to a hidden cliff overlooking a deep part of a wee Scottish loch. I struggled on the bike ride, and was nervous about the cold, remnants of Covid still making themselves felt. After a short scramble over brush, moss and heather, we came to this fantastic wall of rocky slabs reaching out into the water, the highest about two metres. Again and again we jumped off into the deep lack loch water. Diving down. Climbing out. Jumping off again. Splashing. Laughing. It was the best. Adrenalin and wellbeing flowed through me. I felt restored, physically and mentally.
2021 Review: Favourite camping holiday
Both of us had the same choice here – our camping holiday in Aviemore at Dalraddy in June!
CAROLINE :This was the second time we’d camped here, and for good reason – it’s such a perfect little campsite that has everything you could ask for. There’s plenty of space for each pitch, clean and modern showers and loos, picnic tables, a choice of electric hook up and of course an incredible location right in the Cairngorms with everything it offers on your doorstep. We camped here with family, with room for our campervan, tent and gazebo on our pitch, and their three bedroom tent on theirs. The site is huge but feels very safe, so children can roam around freely, playing football and hide and seek till the sun goes down. There’s even a shop that sells basics and a cafe with vegan food!
Dalraddy Campsite
COLIN: It’s such a brilliant location, and while the facilities can be a bit or the basic side, I much prefer this to more sanitised sites. Loved the freedom it gave our kids, but also the proximity to so many activities and experiences. Bike hire and mountain biking. Gorge-walking and tree-climbing. Wild swimming and forest bathing. I can’t wait to go back and explore more.
We’ve had lots of walks in Scotland and England this year, in all weathers, up mountains, along meandering quiet rivers, across spectacular cliffs and around deep blue lochs.
CAROLINE: My favourite was our walk up the Fyrish Monument, near Dingwall, in late July during a family holiday in the Black Isle. It was a beautiful day with the sun splitting the skies when we climbed. This was both wonderful and slightly tiresome as the heat beat down on our backs as we emerged from the forest. The blue skies made views from the top even more spectacular, and once we’d taken in the great sweep of the Cromarty Firth and dark, looming Ben Wyvis, we admired the monument, built in 1783 by the local laird to provide employment for the locals. You can read more about our holiday in the Black Isle here.
The Fyrish Monument
COLIN: In October we enjoyed a big family gathering near Aviemore for my Auntie’s 70th. On the Saturday, as various folk went off on restorative bike rides, explores, walks or just endless games of hide and seek, Caroline and I, joined by one of our kids, took a hike up Meall a’ Bhuachaille, a cracking but serious Corbett that is famous for its views. With the path easy to follow, and the weather perfect, we easily made the exposed summit, although somewhat out of breath. Most of my Scottish hillwalking memories are of grey clouds and horizontal rain; Meall a’ Bhuachaille more than made up for it. There is a stunning panoramic view from the top, from the nearby Northern Corries of the Cairngorm range, over to Loch Morlich then reaching out to a stunning serrated skyline that wraps all around you.
The Ryvoan Bothy on the way down Meall a’Bhuachaille.
After sugared almonds and rehydration at the top, it was time to get going. In general, I much prefer a steep ascent over the repetitive strain of a steep and winding descent, and Meall a’ Bhuachaille was unforgiving in this sense. An old climbing injury to my ankle means every step down jars, so by the time we were on the flat track back through beautiful woodland I was limping quite badly. But as we passed the stunning green An Lochan Uaine, a firm favourite and another top swim spot, spirits were lifted and aches eased when we bumped into a group of swimmers from Edinburgh! It was a tremendous coincidence and lovely especially to see Christine, Tanya and Susie, who I’d regularly swum with at Wardie Bay for the past few years.
As always, we’ve made and eaten so much delicious plant-based food in 2021. and there were definitely a few standouts. Our vegan jambalaya with sausage, rice and red wine was a definite crowd pleaser, easy to make, and brilliant for camping. I loved our lemon spaghetti with chickpeas and sage from our new garden – best enjoyed alfresco in the sunshine. And the Edgy Veg’s lobster rolls made with hearts of palm are out of this world!
Vegan jambalaya
COLIN: As much as I loved Caroline’s campsite Peanut Butter Curry (it’s now a camping staple), one of my favourites is her Vegan Smoked Salmon Blinis with Sour Cream. Utterly delicious and a real treat! I love seeing folks’ reactions when you tell them the “salmon” is actually made from marinaded carrot! It’s a doddle to make; just needs a bit of planning. And the vegan goat curry from London-based vegan Caribbean takeaway Jam Delish at the Vegan Campout in September was out of this world.
2021 Review: Favourite moment
CAROLINE: We’re really lucky to have lots of wonderful 2021 moments to choose from. Standing on Chanonry Point shivering as we waited for a pod of dolphins appear and the excitement as a mother and her baby burst out of the water was one. Sitting around a campfire with family, playing twenty questions under the stars and eating marshmallows was another. And jumping into the cool Cam on a baking 30 degrees day in Cambridge was one more.
COLIN: Getting Covid was the low point of 2021. It knocked my fitness, but also hit my motivation. I’d given up coaching in Edinburgh, and had hoped to quickly reprise in Cambridge. Being ill within days of moving sapped all my motivation, which in turn led to a gloomy spiral that sapped my swimming and coaching mojo. So returning to swim coaching has been a massive thrill for me, especially as it’s at such a wonderful location, the historic Jesus Green Lido, the UK’s longest outdoor pool. One of the great things about coaching is being able to see, week on week, a swimmer’s improvement as you work with them. It’s incredibly rewarding, and I hope it’ll continue and indeed grow in 2022.
The other top moment of the past year was when our big family all got together. Grandparents and parents, kids and cousins, brothers and sisters, aunties and uncles, it was a joy to have (almost) everyone all in one place. It felt like a major victory against lockdown and all the restrictions and setbacks we’ve all had to bear. We hope you also had a similar happy experience with your families and/or friends.
As we go into 2022, we’re full of hope and excitement – hope that this year will be a little easier for all of us, and excitement about all of the things we can do, despite the C word. Happy new year!
Scottish tablet is a type of traditional hard, very sweet fudge that anyone from Scotland will have grown up with – we all had a granny or auntie that would produce a home-made bag at Christmas or during visits. My Aunt Isobel would bring us each a bag full at Christmas, and I’d always finish mine then move on to stealing bits from everyone else! There are recipes for Scottish tablet that go back to the early 18th century, using sugar and cream, and you’ll find tablet in most Scottish sweet shops.
Luckily it’s very easy to make tablet vegan by swapping the milk for plant milk and the condensed milk for condensed coconut milk.
The key to tablet is getting the temperature right. It has to reach a temperature of 120C/soft ball on a sugar thermometer. You need to hold your nerve and keep stirring until it gets to that point or you’ll end up with much softer fudge, or toffee. If you don’t have a sugar thermometer I’d recommend getting one, as they’re so useful for making fudge, jam and tablet. If you aren’t able to get hold of one, you can use the ball method, detailed below.
6 candy canes, bashed into pieces (put them in a bag and hit them hard!)
Method
Prepare a square baking tin to pour your tablet into.
Put all of the ingredients except the candy canes into a pot and melt them together on the hob over a low heat. Once everything is dissolved, increase the heat.
Stir the mixture continuously until it reaches 120C on your sugar thermometer, or until it is boiling and a small spoonfulled ball of it dropped into a cup of cold water keeps it shape.
Turn down the heat and wait a minute for the mixture to settle, then stir vigorously for a few minutes until it is almost setting. Pour into the baking tin and score lightly with a knife both ways so it is easier to cut later, then pour the candy cane over it!
Buddha bowls are such a perfect way to have lunch as you can have a little bit of everything. you fancy in them. They’re apparently named for their big round belly shape and usually contain grains, vegetables, a dressing and some protein. I like mine as colourful as possible, and usually some tofu ends up being in there somewhere – this lemon and sage tofu buddha bowl is one of our favourites.
The first rule of tofu – and I can’t stress this enough – is to press it – and then marinade it for AT LEAST 24 hours, if not more. I always wince when I see recipes that tell you to take some pressed tofu, wave some dressing at it then fry it or bake it. It’s not enough – your tofu will end up tasting bland and nothingy and might even put you or the person you’re serving it to off tofu for life! Patience is a virtue with tofu. The more you marinade it the better it will taste.
Ingredients
1 block firm tofu
Juice of two lemons
2 teaspoons sage
Salt
Pepper
Method
First press the tofu, using a tofu press or by wrapping it in a tea towel, putting it in a sieve, then putting the sieve over a bowl with heavy books on top of the wrapped tofu. Press for minimum one hour.
Prepare the marinade. I usually marinade in my tofu press but you can also do in a bowl. Add the lemon juice, sage, a pinch of salt and pepper to the bowl or press. Chop the tofu in cubes and marinade in the lemon juice mixture. Add warm water to ensure the tofu is completely covered and marinade for 24-76 hours.
Then heat your oven to 180C (fan) and bake the tofu in its marinade in an oven dish for 20-30 minutes, until it’s golden.
I had this with roasted dill potatoes, roasted tomatoes with thyme, and roasted carrots marinaded in miso. It’s delicious drizzled with our smoky cheeze sauce. Other suggestions to add to the tofu in a buddha bowl –
I had a chat with recently with a friend after watching a couple of documentaries about the climate change threatening our way of life and what people can do to help reduce their footprint on the world. We got on to talking about how, although everyone wants to play their part in confronting the problem, how overwhelming it can feel and how difficult it can be to know where to start.
Here are some ideas that begin at home, by supporting your local community. No, doing one of these things won’t halt climate change in its tracks – but it will make a difference. And if you influence just one other person to do the same, you might just trigger a domino effect in your community that spreads far and wide.
Take part in your local beach clean or community clean up. The more people that volunteer for these vital initiatives, the more plastic can be picked up and recycled properly rather than making its way to the ocean, where it destroys marine life. Every single piece of plastic that you collect is one less piece to pollute the ocean. Go to the Marine Conservation Society’s website to find your nearest one, or Facebook to see if there’s a community clean up near you.
Image – Surfers Against Sewage
Help to eliminate food waste. Download an app like ToGoodToGo where you can pick up food that’s about to pass its sell by date for next to nothing – I got two bags worth of fruit and veg recently for £3.50 from a fruit and vegetable shop in town! And for your own food, rather than throwing it away, share it on Olio – great for when you’ve overbought or you’re going away somewhere and have too much food. Finally, if your food is too past its sell by date to eat or share – compost it!
I got all this for £3.50 through ToGoodToGo!
Support local vegan businesses – shops, cafes and caterers. Cutting out meat and dairy is the single biggest thing that you can do to reduce your carbon footprint – but it can be daunting to know where to start. Take a look around at the small vegan businesses in your area and you could find a whole new world of deliciousness that you didn’t know existed! Start off by committing to one vegan day a week, maybe picking up a salad for lunch from your local vegan cafe or treating yourself to some doughnuts from the vegan bakery around the corner.
Find out what your local representative is doing to tackle the problem in your community. If it’s not enough, or it’s not working, write to them with suggestions and ask them to commit to some or all of them. Encourage friends in your local community to do the same.
Leave the car at home. And take a look at how it’ll take you to walk or cycle to your destination instead. You might find it’s less time that you think – and along the way you’ll discover a whole new part of your village, town or city that you never knew existed, while you’re saving the planet from the unhealthy emissions from your car. And if it’s not possible to get somewhere on foot, by bike or by public transport, look into whether there is a car share scheme in your area.
Rewild your garden or an outdoor space. If you have a garden, take a break from mowing your lawn. This encourages the growth of plants like clover, that bees love – and we all know how important bees are to our ecosystem. Stopping weeding can also encourage the growth of bee-friendly plants that may encourage other wildlife to visit, too. You can even take it a step further and scatter some wildflower seeds – if there’s a communal green space near you try some guerrilla gardening with your seeds!
Recyle used items. This can be anything from clothes to that lightbox languishing in your attic from when you were into photography, cook books you no longer use or a piece of furniture. Stick them on gumtree or your local community noticeboard. The more we recycle, the less we consume, slowing down the incessant demand on retailers to constantly produce more for us to buy.
Fix things, don’t throw them away. It’s so tempting when you have a household item that breaks – like a kettle or toaster – just to bin it and head to Tesco to buy a new one. Instead, why not watch a YouTube video on how to repair it – or find out if your community has a RepairCafe where someone else can help?
If you haven’t tried these kimchi-based savory pancakes yet, you are in for a treat. These vegan okonomiyaki pancakes are made vegan by using flaxseed to replace the egg and topped with mushrooms and pickled veg.
Makes 4 medium pancakes.
Ingredients
150g plain flour
1 flax egg – add 1 tbsp flaxseed to 3 tbsp water and refrigerate for 10 minutes
One small Savoy cabbage, chopped
150g kimchi, I used jarred kimchi
250ml water
1 tsp salt
Pickled veg – make this ahead by cutting half a cucumber, a carrot, and 3 radishes into thin matchsticks/slices, and adding 4oz rice vinegar and 2oz water boiled in the microwave. Store in an airtight container in the microwave.
150g oyster mushrooms
1 tsp soy sauce
2 tbsp sesame oil
Kimchi mayo – add 1 tbsp kimchi to 100g vegan mayo.
Method
Make the pancakes first. To make the batter, combine the flour, flax egg, half the chopped cabbage, kimchi, salt and water.
Heat 1 tbsp sesame oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Spoon a large tablespoon of the mixture into the pan and fry for a couple of minutes then flip over. It’s ready when both sides are golden. Once you’ve made all of your pancakes, set them aside.
Slice the oyster mushrooms and fry them in the same pan along with the other half of the chopped cabbage, adding another tsp of sesame oil. Fry till soft and browned. Spoon the soy sauce over the fried mushrooms.
Top the pancakes with the pickled veg and mushrooms and cabbage, and drizzled with the kimchi mayo.
I’m not even going to try to write something deep and meaningful about what 2020 has meant to us. I wouldn’t know where to start. I look back at my January 2020 self – I’m sure we all do this with our fresh faced, innocent, January 2020 selves – and think about how she had no idea what was about to hit her.
It’s been a year like no other for all of us, full of loss, change, new ways of doing things, and for some of us, hopefully, growth and learning. Here are some of our lessons from 2020, some of which we know we wouldn’t have learned had this year turned out differently.
Starting with a less serious one – never cook bacon, vegan or otherwise, in your camper van. Just don’t do it. The smell will live on FOREVER. This is one of a few camping tips I’ve picked up in 2020- more here!
What all the fuss about mindfulness is about. I’d tried to do mindfulness before, and failed as I just didn’t really know where to start. A guided five week course through work proved to be life changing, and with daily guided exercises and homework it really did transform the way I approach life, stress and unhelpful thoughts. I love the idea, for example, that it’s OK for a worry (and god knows we’ve all had enough of those in 2020!) to enter your head – and for you to acknowledge it – but to then let it drift through your head and out the other side – like watching a car drive past, and choosing not to get in it. Here are some starter mindfulness exercises if it’s something you’d like to try in 2021.
How to make sourdough bread, and other types of bread too. Such a cliche…. but prompted by the yeast shortage of early 2020, I decided to make a sourdough starter, which has led to a 2020 filled with fresh bread and far too much eating of poppy seed rolls slathered with Naturli vegan butter.
That losing something can be a gateway to something exciting and new. Like lots of people this year, Colin was made redundant from his main job at a small Edinburgh charity. We had a tough few weeks when we knew this was in the offing, with meetings and negotiations for Colin, and then the reality of knowing that from October, he’d no longer have a steady income. His dream – and part of our bigger dream – has been to teach people to swim and spend every day in the sea, but giving up his job to focus solely on that seemed a huge step. With the decision made for him, he put everything into growing Scottish Swimmer, his coaching business – and hasn’t looked back. To date, he’s swum 120k in the sea this year teaching some 200 people from beginners to elite swimmers, and has even bigger plans for 2021.
How much of a lifeline books can be. I’ve always been a very avid reader – I love the way books transport you to another world, especially when you need it most. And with no option to actually go very far in 2020, books took on an even bigger role in my life. Here are some of my favourites from 2020 –
A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World – C.A Fletcher – set in a post apocalyptic world, the book traces a young boy’s journey from the Outer Hebrides to southern England to find his stolen dog. Hopeful and engrossing with an unexpected twist.
Under Milk Wood – Dylan Thomas – one of those books that I have always meant to read but never got round to. I’m only sorry I left it so late. The scene between Captain Cat and Rosie Probert is beautifully heart-rending.
Finally, 2020 has taught me to take one day at a time as, now more than ever, we have no idea what tomorrow might bring. I’ve never been great at this, and often find myself looking forward to the next thing – a holiday, a work trip away, the weekend – and forgetting about the here and now. All we actually have is today, and this moment – yesterday is gone, and tomorrow isn’t real yet. So I’m learning to be better at existing just in the moment, and this has been a good strategy for me in 2020. As I write this, I have no idea what the next few weeks or months might hold – potentially school closures, further restrictions, certainly more time at home. The only thing I do know is that today my family and I are safe and well, and that nothing else really matters beyond that.
Happy 2021, everyone – here’s to a year that hopefully brings us peace, health and happiness.
Edinburgh is most famous for its castle, festivals, tourism and tartanry, but many well travelled folk might be surprised to know that it’s also a superb destination for wild swimming.
Over here on the east coast of Scotland, we’re spoiled for choice. Most residents won’t have to travel too far (I’d say 30 mins on bike or in car) to get to a decent swimming location. For most of us, it’s even less.
There are two main areas: the coastal beaches at Wardie Bay and Portobello, and a series of reservoirs in the Pentland Hills, which overlook the capital from the south and south west.
There are other choices, too, and you’ll find mention of them below, but first we’ll point our goggles in the direction of Edinburgh’s most famous outdoor swimming venue, Portobello Beach.
Swimmers at Portobello. Sometimes they dress up to go for a swim.
Portobello Beach
Portobello has been Edinburgh’s go-to swimming destination for decades! There was once an outdoor pool here, but even since it was filled in and concreted over, people still dipped in the sea. But it was the formation of The Wild Ones Facebook group in 2011 that gave wild swimming in Edinburgh a fresh impetus.
This long stretch of sandy beach is broken up every 250 metres (roughly) by wooden groynes that stretch into the sea, and keep the sand in place. Most people start their swim outside Portobello Swim Centre, getting changed at the nearby wooden groyne.
Rather than swimming out, you tend to swim down the shore and back, the groynes proving a welcome way to measure distance.
Another fairly popular spot to get in is Joppa, which is a better spot when the beach gets really busy. Not so much of a problem during winter!
But it doesn’t really matter where you go as the area is perfect for swimming, having been awarded designated bathing water status, meaning its water quality is regularly monitored.
At low tide, you’ll have to walk very far out to be in deep water, and most people don’t. At high tide however, the beach does drop quite quickly so you’re likely to out of your depth even if you’re relatively close to the shore.
You will often see swimmers here at most times of days, and until Covid hit, Sunday mornings at 9.30am was the regular meeting time, although many people arrange swims through the Facebook group or privately.
Of course, travel further east and you’ll cross many other lovely beaches further along the coast. Fisherrow, Musselburgh, Longniddry, Gullane, Seacliff, Yellow Craigs, Tyninghame, Belhaven Beach. Most of them within an hour’s drive from Edinburgh, a few accessible by train, and all accessible by a lovely, albeit long, cycle.
Wardie Bay
Heading in the other direction, a few miles west along the coast from Portobello, past the historic borough of Leith and the picturesque Newhaven Harbour, you’ll get to Wardie Bay, a wee wild and urban beach that is massively different in character to the resort-likeness of Portobello.
Like Portobello, it’s all sand underfoot and is swimmable at all tides and most conditions. The shelf drops off moderately sharply at high tide, so you’ll be out of your depth fairly quickly. At low tide you can be walking for 100m out and still in your depth.
Due to its popularity, it also has its own dedicated Facebook group, the Wardie Bay Wild Ones and in recent times there has been a concerted effort by the local community and beach users to keep Wardie Bay clean and get it awarded designated bathing status.
Wardie Bay
You’ll often see swimmers down here, getting changed on either side of the beach, and along it on the grass. Not quite a machair, but we can pretend.
You’ve probably three options for a swim:
Out round the buoys that are dotted to the east of the breakwater wall – the nearest ones (a yellow and pale pink one are about 250-350 metres away at high tide). The further orange one is about 650-700 metres away. There’s a yellow buoy further out but you really need to watch if going out that far as you’re crossing into the line of traffic. Not recommended.
Another nice swim is along the shoreline to the tower that sticks out about 650 metres from the beach, apron halfway to Newhaven Harbour. Best go at mid or high tide, and if you go when there’s a flood tide (coming in) you’ll get an assist on the way back.
But for many people, criss-crossing the bay is enough and you’ll often see people going in for a dip and doing lengths of the bay from the breakwater wall to the rocks that reach out on the other side of the sand.
A few words of warning. While the tidal pull here is mild, it is noticeable. Bear that in mind if you’re swimming out round the buoys and coming back on an ebb tide (tide going out). It’s not something to be overly concerned about, but if it catches you by surprise that could cause a bit of anxiety in you or perhaps less experienced swimmers.
At high tide, with a big swell and crashing waves, it’s dangerous and even the strongest swimmers should think carefully about going in.
I always keep a good 50metres from the wall. It’s used by fisherman and I don’t want to go near their lines.
On hot calm weather a jet skier or two may approach. They’ve been warned that there’s swimmers in the water, but they still do it. Any sounds of the jet skier, I would recommend swimming towards the wall or getting out.
Most other boats will keep beyond the buoys but you do need to remain aware at all times while swimming, listening and looking out for yachts and fishing boats who very occasionally do come within the buoys.
Cramond Beach
Westwards along the shore from Wardie Bay is Cramond Beach.
Cramond Beach and Island
Folk do swim here, and I’ve enjoyed it a couple of times, but the general consensus is that the River Almond that flows into it is a bit manky and that it is maybe ill advised. The times I’ve gone in, I’ve entered by the beach by the stone fish down from the Cramond flag pole and walkway to Cramond Island.
I’d love to do a swim from Cramond Isle to the mainland sometime.
You can only really swim here at high tide, but do be mindful of the tidal current here. Another risk – and I’m not sure how serious it is – is that the bed towards Cramond Isle can be quite soft and sucky. I can’t for a moment imagine anyone getting stuck in it, but still, worth mentioning.
Pentland Reservoirs
Threipmuir is an easy one, and popular with beginners, families, experienced swimmers and triathleses. Big enough to get some distance in, it’s also very shallow in places so if you can stand the mu round your ankles then it’s fine to stand up in.
Access at the nearby car park, or the one at Harlaw or cycle, though you’ll have to negotiate a big ascent!
Although there’re hills around it, it’s wide open and flat and does get exposed to wind and get choppy, which is good fun!
Most people get changed near the bench at the top end or on a beach nearer the wall. Keep well clear of these. I don’t know the optimum distance to keep away from gates (50 metres minimum) but I don’t go past the spit of land that sticks out.
Torduff Reservoir lies to the south west of Edinburgh, just off the bypass. I’d say this is for experienced swimmers only. Deep, cold, and only two entry points at either end, it’s not one for swimmers who aren’t comfortable with swimming a few km in cold water. Park at the Bonaly Car Park (or cycle) and walk over. Get in on the slope on the other side of the towers.
These sluice gates are closed and only opened twice a year, but I still wouldn’t go near them, although people do jump off them.
Bonaly and Harlaw reservoirs tend to be busy with fishermen. I tend to avoid.
Gladhouse Reservoir
Further afield, Gladhouse Reservoir, south of Edinburgh and out past Dalkeith is a joy to swim in.
Gladhouse Reservoir. There’s even a swing where you can put your clothes.
Parking is a bit of a pain since a new fence was erected, but if you’re careful and canny you can usually find somewhere to park up, even on very busy days. Most people will access via the north-western edge where beautiful Scots pine overlook a few rocky or gravel beaches.
The two islands give good loops to swim around, and the whole circuit is rough 5k, an excellent training ground for those of you wanting to push the distance. But it’s a lovely place to go for a quiet (apart from high summer) dip!
Beware, while it gets very warm in the summer, it can get brutally cold in the winter. It’s where many swimmers go to crack the ice!
Fife
As well as the beaches along the Lothian Coast, you’re also not far away from the likes of the lifeguarded Silver Sands beach at Aberdour, Burntisland Beach, or the water centre at Lochore, all in Fife.
Water of Leith
And for the adventurous, there are some pools in the Water of Leith that are worth a wee explore! I know a couple of swimmers who’ve spent time discovering these spots and share their knowledge reluctantly … so you’ll just have to trust me on this one, or go find them yourself!
Places to Avoid!
Then there are a few places where I personally wouldn’t recommend swimming. People have in the past enquired about Duddingston Loch, the wee lochs on Arthur’s seat. These are ripe in bird droppings and I wouldn’t even think about it. Nor would I go near the aforementioned Almond River. I’ve seen excrement flow in here from the wee burn that comes out from the airport; a shocking and depressing indication of the contempt that larger organisations have for our coasts and waterways.
Spoilt for choice
We really are spolit for choice for places to wild swim in and around Edinburgh. As well as the city beaches and nearby reservoirs, we also have cracking swimming venues in East Lothian and Fife, and I haven’t even gotten on to West Lothian!
It’s one of the reasons why Edinburgh wild swimming has exploded in recent years, and why there are now several coaches in the area, including myself, supporting swimmers with their swimming, safety and confidence.
To read more on open water swimming, including what to wear and what to bring, see my Guide to Open Water Swimming.
With the Coronavirus lockdown undergoing a phased relaxation across the UK, many outdoor swimmers are at last returning to the open water. Some will be approaching the sport for the first time, no doubt enticed by the excitement generated in the sport over the past couple of years, from Ross Edgley’s epic Great British Swim to the publication and phenomenal success of the bestselling book Taking the Plunge, by Anna Deacon and Vicky Allan, as well as various TV, radio and magazine mentions…
I don’t know Ross, but Anna and Vicky are both good friends, and I was delighted to be asked to contribute a section providing safety and swimming advice for their beautiful book, a must-have for any wild swimmer! (Widely available online!) Below is an edited version of that section that I hope will be useful to anyone new to open water swimming this summer.
Swimming Kit
Alongside a safe body of water, the only thing you truly need to go open water swimming is yourself. A costume is a good idea so as not to scare the local wildlife, and some goggles so you can see the murk below better. You should also equip yourself with a bright-coloured cap to keep your head warm, and to make you more visible. You have a few options – silicon, latex or neoprene – although plenty of people like to keep their heads above water and wear a wooly hat! But apart from these three essentials, almost everything else you’ll need is for after your swim.
When there’s snow-capped hills around you a wooly hat is a perfectly acceptable – and sensible! – alternative to a swim cap.
After-swim Kit
Start with a towel. You want something big enough to wrap around you and to change under. Some people go for the micro-fleece beach towels, but I’m not a fan. My wife prefers a poncho-type towel (Dry Robe is the main brand) to change under. My preference is for a compact and easy drying Hamman towel.
You also want loose, warm clothes to quickly and easily throw on as soon as you’re dry, starting with a T-shirt. Choose clothes you can chuck on without any faff: your fingers might be numb, you might have the judders, and your skin might be all sticky because it’s cold and fresh out of the water. After a swim I often put on two T-shirts, a baggy base layer, a jumper, a thick shirt, and a hoodie. Thick socks (loose!) are also recommended. And a wooly hat. Do not forget the hat! Basically, you’re dressing for the mountains!
It’s a good idea to have your clothes handy and laid out before you go in the water. Once out, the trick is to get dressed as quick as you can so you can get moving to help your body warm up again. Your core temperature will drop a degree or three once you’re out of the water as the cold layer of blood below your skin is recirculated around your body, causing a condition called Afterdrop (other people call it the judders; the medical term is peripheral vasoconstriction). Assuming you’ve changed into warm clothes and you’re moving about, it’s not particularly serious; just don’t operate any heavy machinery. It generally wears off after about 20 minutes or so but you might get a wee cold shudder some hours later!
Another useful bit of kit is something to stand on, whether that’s flip flops, crocs, or a square of a foam sleeping mat. This keeps your feet off the cold or wet ground and stops the heat seeping out from under you.
And finally, take a flask containing a hot drink (but not scalding). It’s a superb way to warm up afterwards; just be careful if you’re shaking from the judders.
Pre-swim essentials
I’ve never met anyone who didn’t feel better after a swim. Though many of us arrive at the water’s edge feeling apprehensive, depressed, hungover, stressed or tired. What motivates us is knowing that during and after our swim we will feel fantastic. And so will you. Hold on to that positive thought and don’t let go!
Getting in
Of course it’s the actual getting in that can be the hardest thing about open water swimming – both mentally and physically – but there are ways to make it easier for yourself.
I prefer to dive or jump in for that exhilarating cold water blast, but it’s not for everybody, and not for anyone new to cold water swimming. Walking in is the safer option, though it’s murder on your soles if across pebbles or rocks. (Swim socks are a good idea in this case.)
If you do walk in, those first few seconds around your ankles can be a wee bit nippy. You’ll wonder how you can keep going and want to claw back out. But keep going! Tell yourself the water is warm. It does get easier, and once your calves, knees, thighs are in things start settling down. Maybe stop, pause, count to 20, and then continue past your waist.
Another good tip is to get your hands in as soon as possible. Use them to splash some water on your chest, your face, your back and especially the back of your neck as you’re walking in. This distracts from the water around your legs or abdomen, but it also prepares you physiologically for going in, reducing the effects of cold water shock and spreading the cold sensation around your body, and thereby lessening it.
Cold Water Shock
Cold water shock is that thing you get when you gasp for breath and your muscles contract. It can make people panicky, but it’s also quite exciting. Swear, shout, sing, shriek if it helps; you won’t be the first! Your adrenaline is kicking in. Focus on breathing. Let your body settle into the cold by rolling on to your back. Kick your legs hard. Scull for a bit. As your body and mind calm, focus on controlled and calm exhalations. And then remind yourself of how unbelievable lucky (and brave!) you are to be in this gorgeous sea, loch, or river. Look up and around at the big sky surrounding you, and the beautiful landscape reaching round you like a big pair of arms. Feel blessed to be in this space, because very, very few people will ever experience this. And be proud of yourself for getting this far!
Getting the face in
Once you’re happy enough in the water it’s time to get your face in and start swimming. For me that’s the hardest part especially when the water’s extremely cold. The swimming cap helps a lot. You need it for visibility but also because it reduces the brainfreeze. Pull it down over your ears and down over forehead to just above your eyes. Wearing two will make a massive difference, too (try latex on top of silicon here).
If getting your face in is a struggle, try the following: swim water polo drill or breast stroke and dip your head in during every other stroke, ensuring you exhale fully to maintain control of your breathing. Another strategy is to submerge your whole head a few times, especially submerging the back of your head and neck. This balances out the coldness front and back and helps you acclimatise. It can be painful initially, but the more you do it, the easier it gets. Some people don’t find it difficult at all – fingers crossed that’s you!
Cold Water Swimming
Of course, water conditions vary like the weather, and wind, current, tide will all affect the water, which will obviously impact your stroke.
It’s a good idea to practise different freestyle techniques when in the pool (this was written while pools were open!). Short, faster strokes with a high recovery and an early entry for when it’s very choppy and the swell is lifting you up and down. Or longer stokes and an extended glides for when the water’s dead calm.
It’s important you can do bilateral breathing. While most times you’ll be able to breathe when and where you want, you’ll likely be faced with swims where you have to be able to swim on only the right or left sides, especially if sea swimming. Like your freestyle stroke itself, the key is being able to adapt. Also, without lane ropes you may veer in one direction: bilateral breathing helps reduce this.
Swimming direct into the chop can be quite challenging – and immensely fun! – but it’s sometimes tricky to avoid getting a face full of water. Try to pierce each wave, rather than fight over them. If side on to the waves, just try to roll with it. Enjoy the sensation! But be mindful of how it can affect where you’re going.
Sighting
Practise and have an awareness of how to sight. There are no lane ropes in the wild or open water, so use landmarks to help you. Tall trees, church spires, mountains, buoys, bright coloured buildings, and so on. Always know which direction you’re swimming in.
My advice would be to stick close to shore and be very mindful or wind direction and currents.
As for sighting technique, one common way is to lift your eyes just above the water immediately prior to taking a breath, and then rotating your head as you take a breath as part of the same movement. Another method is to lift your head as your arm goes into the water and stretches out in front of you. Do this regularly (perhaps every fourth of fifth breath), and always have an awareness of how the water flow is directing you.
One last piece of advice on open water swimming
Be safe and don’t swim alone. While there’s something incredibly compelling, liberating and exciting about swimming solo, my advice is that it should only be attempted by the most experienced swimmers, and even then it should be only undertaken with sincere consideration. In general, don’t swim alone. Fine if that other person is watching from the shore.
And while there’s a general philosophy of “swim at your own risk”, please bear in mind that should you ever get in to trouble, it’s likely you’ll endanger someone else should they try to aid you. This might be professionals such as the Coastguard, RNLI or trained lifeguards, but it could also be other swimmers or water users or simply passers-by. You might be fine with that level of risk, but it may not be what they signed up for …
