A weekend exploring East Lothian

By Chris Paul Lawlor

Did you know there is a small island off the coast of North Berwick that was the inspiration behind the book Treasure Island? I recently spent the weekend in East Lothian to discover interesting locations while having some downtime to relax. This isn’t the first time I have visited the area, as previously I have climbed North Berwick Law for sunrise and crossed the Belhaven Bridge in Dunbar during low tide, both excellent days out. In April I returned for an adventure-filled weekend to truly come up with the perfect multi-day getaway in Scotland, that I have now completed and will break down in this article.

Checking into North Berwick

I booked the “Lammermuir” Rock and Castle Escapes cabin for this trip and stayed for 2 nights. This cabin is a walking distance from Tantallon Castle with views of the sea and was very quiet and peaceful.

The cabin can fit up to two people and slots into the “luxury” category when it comes to quirky stays, but is also reasonably priced. When researching where I was going to stay, another accommodation crossed my radar called The Lookout, which is a cliffside cabin, if you need a little bit more space.

Morning Food Spot

Waking up in North Berwick, I decided to check out the local food spots to grab breakfast. Only a 10 minute drive into the seaside town, I parked up at The Glebe Car Park and walked to a little cafe called Buttercup Cafe and got myself a roll and sausage to kick start my day.

There’s a co-op on the same street which is good to pick up some snacks, drinks and a sandwich for the day ahead.

Aberlady Bay Local Nature Reserve

The first location was Aberlady Bay Local Nature Reserve that took me out of North Berwick to discover surrounding areas and work my way back. The walk starts from the Aberlady Bay car park with a long wooden bridge taking you over the water. This will lead you to the sandy beach of Gullane that will take around 3 hours to do if you undertake the full circular route as described on WalkHighlands. Note that dogs are not allowed on the nature reserve.

Yellowcraig Beach

Yellowcraig is a vast sandy beach in North Berwick that consists of a short 10 minute walk to reach through a wooded area. From the beach you will see Fidra in the distance that was the inspiration behind the book Treasure Island, written by Robert Louis Stevenson in 1883. Yellowcraig beach is a popular dog walking spot, allowing dogs all year-round.

Tantallon Castle

Continuing to explore the coast, I ventured to Tantallon Castle, built in the mid-1300s, as it was close to my accommodation and is a must-visit while in the area. Entering the castle you will find underground rooms, seating areas, information boards and spiral staircases taking you to the top for stunning views of the surrounding area. It does cost to enter the castle and prices can be found on this link.

Drift Cafe

Not far from Tantallon Castle, is a popular cafe I have often seen on social media sitting right at the edge of a cliff with floor-to-ceiling windows, giving you the best view while enjoying a meal and a hot or cold beverage. This set me up for the second day in the area before getting close to Bass Rock on a boat that I could see from my table.

Be sure to book a table in advance which can be done on their website, with sea view seating options available for reservation. There is also an outdoor sauna at the car park called Escape Sauna.

Dunbar Harbour

Travelling to Dunbar Harbour for the boat trip, I realised how much history took place on the harbour alone after speaking with Alan from Blue Wild (boat trip) before we sailed off. Adjacent to the harbour is the Dunbar Battery that was erected in 1781 as a defensive fortification against sea-bound threats. Over the years, it served various purposes, including as an infectious disease hospital and a convalescent facility during World War I.

If you visit the harbour, you will also see the remains of Dunbar Castle that was built using the area’s natural red sandstone. You may also realise that the beaches along the Dunbar coast are a lot quieter than those in North Berwick as they can be overlooked but are just as beautiful if not more so.

Blue Wild Boat Trip

The highlight and the last stop of the weekend adventures was going out on a Blue Wild boat trip to see nearby islands. The boat trips with Blue Wild are always interesting as you never know which wildlife you might see in the water and in the sky on the day, with the team at Blue Wild very knowledgeable of the area, it’s history and the wildlife that roam here.

As mentioned, the trip began from Dunbar Harbour, going towards Bass Rock which is the core of an ancient volcano and is now the world's largest northern gannet colony. Incredible to see this up close as I have only seen it from the coast.

Continuing on the boat trip we passed Craigleith island and was lucky to see some puffins in the water and flying above this small island. Onwards to Fidra, another small island and seeing it up close it’s no surprise why this was the inspiration behind Treasure Island due to its unique landscape and caves.

Blue Wild also runs boat trips to the Isle of May, where you can land on the island and see puffins from April to August. Trips typically run all year round, weather permitting, with opportunities to spot other wildlife, such as seals, throughout different seasons.

Author: Jackie Gardiner

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