When people ask about the origins of North Berwick Law I tell them about it being a volcano. One that last erupted over 300 million years ago during the Carboniferous Period when what was to later become Scotland was situated somewhere around the Equator. This is the rock solid science but there is another explanation and it is one that is rooted in legend with firm royal approval. James V who reigned from 1513 to 1542 liked the story and it is one with an unpleasant ending which started in Gullane.
Many moons ago there was an ogre called the Carling that lived in Gullane. She had a deserved reputation as a cannibalistic nightmare and, for reasons best known unto himself, a shepherd from the Lammermuir Hills loved her. The Carling did not return this love and his advances met with a firm rebuttal.
Undeterred the shepherd decided to take the logical step of destroying the Carling's home in the firm belief that this would force her to move in with him. Bear with me, it's not a sensible story but then when has love ever made sense!
To this end, the shepherd unleashed a bag of moles (I said it required patience) on the Carling who, being an ogre, proceeded to kill them all. Not being the brightest of sparks, the shepherd left evidence behind, a bag that the Carling recognised. She put two and two together and realised that it must have been the nutty shepherd who unleashed this strange infestation.
She was justifiably annoyed and expressed this anger by heading straight to the Lammermuir home of the shepherd where she dispatched him, horribly. This proved so amusing that the Carling lost control of her Nether regions emitting a great thunderclap. An ogre fart. In fact, she laughed so hard that the fart became somewhat... solid. The outcome? One set of spoiled ogre undergarments and a flying pile of poo which landed with a resounding thud right outside North Berwick.
And that is the comedy folklore explanation of how North Berwick Law came into being. Its interesting because kids have commented that the Walks Upon A Time logo bears a striking resemblance to a poo emoji. Admittedly, prior to finding out about the Carling I was irritated by this but not now. Now I think I'm amused and a little proud to know that history has been thinking the same thing all along. So next time you look at the Law be thankful that ogre dung solidifies over time and isn't too stinky!
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