West Lothian’s pirate puppy walking group help Linlithgow locals through lockdown

A pirate-themed dog walking group helped Linlithgow locals form friendships during lockdown.

Let us know what you think and join the conversation at the bottom of this article.

Douglas Hall Smith, known as 'Captain' due to his distinctive red coat and cocked hat, started the dog walks during the first lockdown with his friends Brian Kirkwood, Claire Kirkwood and Susan Reynolds

Since then, a number of ‘crewmates’ and their pooches have joined the friends on their 10am daily walks.

Captain and the crewmates' in Linlithgow.

The daily walk around the peel and coffee break at Taste Deli has become a real “moral booster” for attendees.

“The group happened quite by accident,” said the Captain. “After completion of the West Highland way together Brian contacted me and asked if I would like to meet up for a walk around the Loch and stop into Taste Deli for a coffee.

“We would greet all with a hearty good morning, enter into a friendly conversation. It then started to grow from there.

“It was Brian who first coined Captain Jack Sparrow. I decided to run with it and now I am happy that it puts a smile on the face of others."

Delighted with the success of the dog walks, group organiser Brian Kirkwood said the crew's faithful dogs Lola, Bodger, Sonic and Benny bring joy to everyone they meet on their walks.

Discussing the growth of the group he said: “As time went by more strangers became friends and old friends got in touch and also joined in the daily walk.

"We all have had our difficulties over this year with many ailments physical and mental but this daily stroll has allowed us to come through it stronger knowing friendships have grown and I can’t see it stopping anytime soon."

Local residents have praised the fun-filled walking group for helping them through the last 18-months.

Hazel Snedden said: “The lockdown hurt everyone and some people did not come back from this horrible time and place.

“We were stuck inside and when we finally got out we had the crew who were right there to help us.

“They took us on their walks and helped us come back to life with a laugh, it's what everyone needed.

“The last year has been the toughest I've had to fight yet and I could not have done it without the crew members.”

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this article. We're more reliant on your support than ever as the shift in consumer habits brought about by coronavirus impacts our advertisers.

If you haven't already, please consider supporting our trusted, fact-checked journalism by taking out a digital subscription.