FOUR embroidered panels about legendary naturalist John Muir are now on display in his hometown of Dunbar.

The Scottish Diaspora Tapestry is a worldwide community arts project recording the stories of Scots and their descendants in 25 countries.

One of those is Dunbar-born John Muir, with four specially embroidered panels created.

Those panels are now on display in the town’s John Muir’s Birthplace Museum ahead of the official opening of the John Muir Way on Monday by First Minister Alex Salmond.

One of those involved in creating the four panels was grandmother Marilyn Nicholson.

The 66-year-old told the Courier: “When my husband and I moved to John Muir Crescent in Dunbar about 13 years ago, we wondered who John Muir was and what he had done to have his name as part of the local street names.

“It did not take long to find out after we saw his famous statue outside the Town House in Dunbar and a few visits to the excellent museum once it was refurbished.

“Our grandson, Tristan, has learned many interesting facts of nature during visits here with his school classmates.

“Having spent many hours walking around various parts of the coastline of Scotland, I feel I am very lucky to live near the John Muir Way coastal path, which is close to our house.

“During my many walks here, I have become very proud of this man, who was greatly inspired by the abundance of local nature surrounding his home town of Dunbar.” Marilyn was previously involved in both the Prestonpans Tapestry and the Great Tapestry of Scotland.

She was “absolutely delighted” to see that her panel was to be used in the Scottish Diaspora Tapestry.

And she revealed she had been busy working on her section for a little while.

“The outlining was started during our late summer holiday in Javea, near Valencia in Spain,” she said.

“Returning home, my time was taken up organising an embroidery exhibition for the East Lothian branch of the Embroiderers Guild, which ran for one month.   “When the exhibition finished at the end of November, it was necessary to just sit down and stitch, fitting in Christmas preparations, looking after a puppy for 10 days and a few social occasions in order that my husband did not decide to leave me!

“Having the tapestry ready for the required date was a great relief, both to me and my family.  “I was a bit sad to see John Muir go as I had become accustomed to having him sitting on my upstairs sofa.” The panels will remain on display in Dunbar until May 14.

Two days later they will then be on display at the Prestoungrange Gothenburg, in Prestonpans, ahead of the world premiere of the Scottish Diaspora Tapestry in the town’s community centre on May 31.