A sunny Scottish day spent by the sea!

When the sun shines in Scotland it is literally the Best. Thing. Ever. We are a nation of hardy folk who put up with a lot of dreich, rubbish weather. Our winters are long and unforgiving. The rain is horizontal and the skies are usually ominous. I love - and often hate - living in a country that throws so many different weather conditions my way.

I love - and often hate - the unpredictability of the Scottish weather. It's the first topic of conversation with any stranger, and often friends. Our lives seem defined by the weather on so many occasions. It's a powerful thing.

As wet and dreich as Scotland can be, it's often the worst weather that makes it look its best. The word 'atmospheric' cannot be used often enough. A positive place has to be found to get you through those tough days - when the wind is whistling through your hair and the rain is driving into your eyes.

We do put up with a lot for often little reward - but when that reward comes, we appreciate it so much more! I've never been a fan of 'hot' weather (the definition of hot is literally a hot topic for debate in my life - anything over 11ish degrees is hot for me!), and so I don't yearn for roasting summer days. However I know all too well that the sunshine is a powerful thing - everyone's mentality improves, spirits are lifted, happiness is far easier to find.

And Scotland simply looks stunning in the sunshine too. Making the most of these rare sunny days is crucial, and this weekend was a prime example of doing just that.

The forecast was looking good. My friend Heather had a brilliant idea to head south east towards St Abb's Head, and to take a stroll on the Berwickshire Coastal Path from Dowlaw to St Abbs.

Dave and I met Heather around 10.30am at the NTS car park at St Abbs, and left a car there. We drove the short distance by road to Dowlaw, and were soon on foot and raring to go.

Our planned route was just shy of 7 miles, but we took a detour first and foremost to the ruined remains of Fast Castle, perched precariously on a cliff edge. What a great find! The remains were fascinating, and spoke of a long, turbulent history. The castle has changed hands many times since it was first built - which in itself is unknown, but it's thought to have had Iron Age habitation.

This ruined wall was simply fascinating! We watched a variety of sea birds do their thing on the rocks below us. A beautiful spot - there was no one else around for miles, and we felt privileged to be there.

It was hard to drag ourselves away, especially knowing we had to go back up the steep hill we'd just come down, but we had to start our walk proper. After navigating a number of sheep (which we'd do for most of the day!) we joined the official route of the Berwickshire Coastal Path. As ever, Scottish Borders Council have done a grand job of waymarking the route, so no navigation was required.

There wasn't a cloud in the sky, and it was blue sky blue water for as far as the eye could see. The scenery was incredible, and yet we saw no people for most of the day - truly an area of untapped beauty.

The Coastal Path was - as most coastal paths are - fairly undulating, with plenty of short sharp hills to test our legs and stamina. I struggled in the heat - this was really hot for me, and it made the ups and downs that bit harder.

However the coastal breeze was so pleasant, and at one point we put layers on because we were chilly, which did feel a bit strange on such a sunny day. We picked a lovely spot for lunch, and sat enjoying the stunning views.

It was also incredibly exciting to be wearing shorts - this hasn't happened in a long time!!

Shorts!!! (photo courtesy of Heather)

timer fun! (photo courtesy of Heather)

We knew we were approaching St Abb's Head when we started to see more and more people. Thankfully there were others out here enjoying this fantastic day!

We made our way uphill towards the lighthouse, then up and down a few more hills before St Abbs came into view.

looking to St Abbs

By now we were surrounded by other walkers, and the peace and tranquility we'd previously enjoyed was long gone. However, we were still soaking up the sunshine and loving the views around us.

We were also very much looking forward to a cup of tea and a piece of cake!

And we didn't have to wait long for this, although Dave almost lost his piece of Border tart to a cheeky wee finch!

A very fine day spent in great company in a beautiful part of the world. The walk was challenging but incredibly rewarding. The views and the fresh air both tremendous.

I paid the price for not listening to those wiser than me - I didn't realised I was getting burnt until I got home:

This made for a rather painful evening out at the Traverse Theatre later that day - but the nippy burny feeling was so worth it, for the amazing portrayal of Calum's Road. A story that has fascinated me for a few years now, and the stage version was incredibly well done. This was the perfect end to a fantastic day!

Oh - and the next day I bagged two Munros. But you'll have to wait just a little longer to hear that story!