Known to many as the ‘Father of the National Parks’ in the USA, John Muir was born in Scotland and spent the first 11 years of his childhood there. On a tour of the UK, why not discover his roots?

John Muir was born in Dunbar on the south east coast of Scotland on 21 April 1838. Recognised today as a pioneer of the conservation movement, Muir grew up exploring the rugged coastline and rolling farmland near to where he lived.

When he was 10, John’s father took the family to the United States, and this was where he spent most of the rest of his life. Muir’s love of the wilderness led to him playing an important role in the creation of several National Parks in the US, including Yosemite, and his books continue to inspire people with a love of the natural world. Muir made a homecoming journey to Scotland in 1893 and many of the places he visited can still be explored today.

For those interested in tracing John Muir’s early life, the best place to start is at John Muir’s Birthplace museum in Dunbar. The museum is located in the house where Muir spent his early years and the exterior has been restored to look much as it would have done in 1838. It offers a fascinating insight into his life, from his Scottish upbringing through to his adventures in the American wilderness.

 John Muir's Birthplace

In 2014, the 100th anniversary of Muir’s death, a new coast-to-coast walking and cycling route, the John Muir Way, was opened, which stretches 134 miles across Scotland, from Helensburgh on the west coast to Dunbar in the east.

The John Muir Trust in Pitlochry, on the edge of the Cairngorms National Park in the Highlands of Scotland, was inspired by the life and work of John Muir. The Trust was set up to conserve and protect wild places, for the wellbeing of wildlife and people, and its Wild Space visitor centre is well worth a visit.

A tour following in the footsteps of John Muir should of course include the natural splendours of the UK’s National Parks, the creation of which was inspired by the National Park movement in the US.

Click here to find out more about John Muir's life in Scotland and the places connected to him that you can visit on a tailor-made tour with Janet Redler Travel & Tourism.