John Muir Festival 2014

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This is the statue of Dunbar's most famous son John Muir, which stands outside the Town House on the High Street in the East Lothian town.  The image was taken yesterday afternoon using a wide angle lens and a low position below the statue to get the birds being released by Muir silhouetted against the bright clouds above Dunbar.


John Muir was a Scottish-born American naturalist, author, and early advocate of preservation of wilderness in the United States. His letters, essays, and books telling of his adventures in nature, especially in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California, have been read by millions. His activism helped to preserve the Yosemite Valley, Sequoia National Park and other wilderness areas. The Sierra Club, which he founded, is now one of the most important conservation organizations in the United States.

2014 marks the centenary of his death on the 24 December 1914 and the John Muir Festival will be held from the 17 to 26 April and will mark the opening of the John Muir Way.

 From the John Muir Festival website:   Funded by Scottish Natural Heritage, Homecoming Scotland, Creative Scotland and East Lothian Council - the Festival will include community participation, artist-led events and large-scale public performances. Festival organisers UZ Arts plan a guide, map, dedicated website and smart phone app to complement the event.

Full details of the Festival curtain raiser from 17 - 20 April will be announced soon. First Minister officially opens the new John Muir Way in Dunbar on 21 April, where visitors can visit John Muir’s birthplace and museum. Then, a group of travelling of performance and installation artists begin the 130 mile odyssey along the Way. Ramblers, runners and cyclists will carry Muir-themed flags commissioned from a photographer. Smaller flags designed by local school children will mark points of interest along the trail. A gang of bearded John Muir lookalikes will provide fun photo opportunities as well as thought-provoking quotes from Muir’s writings. A mobile camera obscura will provide a new perspective on the surrounding landscape. There will be seed bombing with Scottish wild flowers. A stylised tree will be raised, with much ceremony, at selected hotspots, in tribute to Muir’s enduring love of giant sequoias. And in a quieter, more reflective artistic tribute, an American and a Scots poet will walk the length of the John Muir Way at their own unhurried pace, planting seeds and reciting poetry along the way.

We will be following the announcements regarding the John Muir Festival on this blog.

CLICK HERE for a biography on John Muir

CLICK HERE to see another image of the John Muir statue taken by MacLean Photographic last April on our first visit to Dunbar.

Image taken on a Fujifilm X-Pro1 and Fujinon 14mm f2.8R lens 
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