How to use
Starting your walk
Finding the Planets
You can begin the Dirleton Solar Walk from either end of the path, although we recommend that you start at Dirleton village. Starting here allows you to encounter the Sun and the inner planets first, and relatively close together. As you progress outward towards Neptune at Archerfield, you will encounter the outer planets along the path.
At the Archerfield end, the Walled Garden is set just back from the path. To find Neptune at Archerfield, just follow our signposts.
If you prefer, you can also start from Archerfield, which offers the reverse journey, starting from Neptune and working inward through the Solar System to the Sun at Dirleton.
Each of the planet installations is mounted on a fencepost along the walk, positioned at scaled distances which accurately reflect their actual separation in space. You can simply walk or wheel along the path and look out for these fenceposts, which should be easily visible. This is the essence of the Dirleton Solar Walk!
If you need help, a map is available here showing the orbits of the planets to scale and where they intersect with the John Muir Way path.
This map is a useful tool to ensure you stay on track and don't miss any of the planets along your journey.
Exploring the Planets
Using the QR Tags
Information panels
Each planet installation features a clear perspex plate with a color image of the planet, showing its surface details and appearance. Above this image, a silver ball represents the planet's size at the installation's scale of 1:3.6 billion.
Some planets such as Jupiter are easy to see on the perspex, with Jupiter being 3.8 cm in diameter at this scale. In contrast, smaller planets like Mercury, which is only 1 mm in diameter at this scale, are harder to spot. You'll have to look very closely!
This size difference highlights the vast differences in planetary sizes within our Solar System.
Every planet installation includes two QR tags, which are attached to the fencepost. To use these, scan the QR tag with your smartphone's camera app, and accept any camera access or any other permission requests which might pop up.
Scan the tag marked INFO to access detailed information and fun facts about the planet, researched and compiled by the team from Heriot-Watt University.
Scan the tag marked AR to access our augmented reality (AR) feature. This provides a 3D recreation of the planet on your screen with an audio caption, adding an interactive and immersive dimension to your journey!
At both the Dirleton and Archerfield ends of the path, you can find information panels with a short version of these instructions, describing what the Dirleton Solar Walk is all about, and how to use it.
These information panels ensure that all visitors, regardless of their starting point and whether or not you have access to a smartphone, have all the necessary information needed to fully enjoy and understand the Solar Walk.
That's it! If you have any questions after looking over this site, or you'd like to contact the team, feel free to drop us a message at info@dirleton.solar or on our social media channels.
The Dirleton Solar Walk is a scale model of the Solar System installed on a short section of the John Muir Way—a path between Dirleton village and Archerfield Walled Garden. All of the planets in the Solar System are positioned to scale along this path, each with a small installation where you can see and access all kinds of fun and interesting things about that planet.
To use the Dirleton Solar Walk:
Find one of the walk's two end points using this helpful page
Walk or wheel your way along the path, and look out for the planets
Stop at each planet's installation to see what you can learn!
Your flight plan for the Dirleton Solar Walk
Plans, maps and facilities
At Dirleton, in the inner solar system, there is free parking around the village, including some spaces near to the starting point, just off the village green. Dirleton is a beautiful village with two fantastic, child friendly pubs (The Castle Inn and the Open arms) for food and drink and the historic Dirleton Castle. Public toilets can be found just across from the village green next to the Castle entrance.
The Archerfield Walled Gardens, where you will find Neptune, are a fantastic place to start or end your walk, with a pre or post voyage coffee (or even a take away for the journey). Visit the garden centre, shop and cafe with toilets and a play park for the kids.
Don’t drive, no problem. Both Archerfield and Dirleton are easily accessible by bus from Edinburgh on the brilliant 124 or x5 which take you door to door in around 1 hour. Or catch a train to North Berwick and walk, bus, cycle or taxi across.
The map shows the physical location of the model, with the orbits of the planets superimposed. The sun located at the centre, just off the village green in Dirleton. The other end of the walk is Neptune, located next to the entrance of the Archerfield Walled Gardens. You can start your walk from Dirleton or Archerfield and walk along the John Muir way footpath, marked on google earth, to find the planets. At both ends you will find an information board, with a map, to show you the route.