February 2010 -- [Due in part to the impact of the conflict of Easter with school term dates, Haddington Leg 2010 is unable to walk and the difficult decision was taken to close the Leg for this year.

However Haddington Leg 2011 will take place - in a new format as an unsupported leg - ie selfsufficient, without cars! - please make a enquiry now if you'd like to register interest

The children's orientated Leg role will hopefully be taken up in a different format and base location for 2011 as well, but more plans for this new Leg will be publicised towards the autumn of 2010...]

Route Description

The Leg starts in Haddington, south-east of Edinburgh, and was established as a new route following demand in 1996 for a shorter walk, able to provide for children and people who are less fit.

The route takes us down the coast through Dunbar, Cockburnspath, Coldingham, Berwick and Lowick finally meeting up with the other groups to cross the sands to Holy Island. In essence the Haddington Leg is much like any other. We carry our cross (much lighter than the others), pray and reflect along the way, tell stories and generally get to know each other and ourselves a little better.
  

Many of the parishes through which we travel are enormously supportive of Northern Cross and the welcome we get is really appreciated by tired walkers. People often walk with us from the churches along the way and this is very much a feature of Haddington leg. In some of the parishes we are invited to share in worship and prayer either at the end of the day or in the morning.

All this involvement with the parishes doesn't mean that we have no time to our selves. There are many long periods where we can enjoy the fellowship of the group and share our thoughts feelings and discoveries. We are also entirely self catering and the process of preparing the evening meal (and clearing it away again!) helps to bring people closer together.
   

The group often walks with as many as ten children who are all helped to get involved. There is usually plenty for them to do and because of the numbers friendships develop quickly. We always do our best to make sure that the children get as much out of the experience and the close Christian fellowship as the adults.

The total distance we walk is 60 miles over five and a half days (10 - 12 miles a day) though no one is obliged to walk every inch. We have vehicles to carry the luggage so all our walkers need carry are their day packs (holding waterproofs etc. it does rain sometimes!).