Hopetoun Monument, Aberlady & Auchendinny
547 views · Published 4 September 2014 · 17:00 · Indexed 11 October 2026
Channel: Simon Douglas · 2014 · Comedy
The Hopetoun Monument is a large tower which lies just north of Cupar and was built in memory of John Hope, 4th Earl of Hopetoun, who died in 1823. For years, I've assumed you can't get up there and truth be told, I've never tried. I recently found out about an identical monument which sits atop Byers Hill in East Lothian and you can climb up this one. Built two years earlier than the Hopetoun Monument near the Cupar, the two towers are essentially identical in design, share the same name and were constructed in memory of the same person. The tower contains 132 narrow steps and once you reach the top, you're granted with amazing views towards Edinburgh, the Firth of Forth, Aberlady, North Berwick, Haddington and everything in-between. Unfortunately, it was a little misty when I was up there and a lot of the footage was wind damaged due to the exposed nature of the tower top. Hopetoun Monument is only a few miles away from Aberlady so that's where I went for part two of the video. Aberlady is known for having an expansive wetland system and a massive beach, which at low tide, stretches around a mile out into the Forth. I heard the beach has a few interesting wrecks on it near the low tide mark so after researching the tide times, I took a look for the wrecks. Did I find them? Well, you'll have to watch the video to find out. Finally, I stopped off at Auchendinny, which lies just east of Penicuik in order to look at the two railway tunnels and the two bridges over the River North Esk. You knew there'd be some abandoned railway stuff in here somewhere. All these great structures are within half a mile of each other and you get an abandoned station, complete with a goods siding thrown in for good measure. Look out for a special cameo towards the end of this section. For more information about these former railway tunnels and viaducts, Forgotten Relics has you covered. http://www.forgottenrelics.co.uk/tunnels/gallery/auchendinny.html http://www.forgottenrelics.co.uk/tunnels/gallery/firth.html http://www.forgottenrelics.co.uk/bridges/gallery/firth.html
