I have a rest day in which I see lots of free comedy at the festival and stock up to deal with the midges in the highlands.
Back on the road I leave the city through Coates, Orchard Brae and Blackhall (passing the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art).
At a place called Davidson's Mains I rejoin the John Muir way walking down a long curved road flanked by large houses sitting comfortably in manicured gardens.
A little aside on the John Muir way: this 130 mile route, of which i am doing a fraction, is named after the conservationist John Muir. Muir born in Dunbar on the East Lothian coast is more celebrated in America where is known as the "Father of the National Parks".
Muir devoted most of his time to the preservation of wilderness in the Western United States and as a political activist he was instrumental in the creation of Yosemite National Park. Muir liked the sound of running water so much that at one time he built a small cabin along Yosemite Creek which was designed with the delightful feature of a stream running through the corner of the room.
After his success in Yosemite, Muir co-founded the Sierra Club, which today is the most successful environmental organisation in the US. I'm going to reading some of his writings when I get back from my walk.
The John Muir way takes me to Cramond, where I cross the River Almond.
Walking along the A90 on the diverted footpath I turn a corner a take a country road looking down on Edinburgh Airport with the hills of Midlothian behind. I love watching the planes land.
I join a disused railway line path on an embankment which passes magnificently, high above golden wheat fields.
Through Kirkliston and on to Winchburgh where I join the Union canal, which I follow for 5.5 miles.
A short walk takes me into the town of Linlithgow. I like Linlithgow, with a large Loch right in the town centre and it's mixture of solid 17th and 18th century buildings and beautiful brutalism.
And then to the bivy for the night.
