20 things to do in North Berwick, Scotland: the perfect seaside town

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I’ve put together this guide to 20 great things to do in North Berwick, Scotland, in order to share my personal recommendations for exploring this pretty seaside town in East Lothian. It’s somewhere I absolutely adore and I’m always banging on about how much there is to see there. North Berwick has breathtaking beaches and general coastal scenery, as well as loads of good places to eat, drink and shop. It’s also home to the famous Scottish Seabird Centre, where you can discover more about the local puffins and the world’s largest colony of northern gannets.

And once you’ve walked the coastline, eaten all the fresh seafood you could manage, and bankrupted yourself buying things in all the independent shops, there are also good attractions to explore just outside North Berwick. You’ll find ruined fairytale castles, brilliant long walks and an award-winning gin distillery. The latter serves up a tipple enjoyed by the Queen, no less.

As North Berwick is only a short 30-minute train ride from the capital, plenty of tourists visit as a day trip from Edinburgh. But I love North Berwick so much that I’d recommend staying longer than just a day trip. You can easily find more than enough to do for a short break. And the longer you have, the more hidden gems you’ll find.

Here are my favourite things to do in North Berwick for a short break, featuring everything from walking to witches…

20 things to do in North Berwick

1. Walk along the beautiful beaches 

Whenever I visit North Berwick, the first thing I do (other than shoving my luggage into the hotel) is get straight out onto the sand to frolic like an overexcited dog being let off the lead. 

North Berwick’s coastline is split into two bays:

  • one next to the golf course (the West Bay)
  • another on the other side of the harbour (the East Bay).

The latter is also known as Milsey Bay. This is where you’ll find a Victorian swimming pool built into the shore, which fills up as the tide comes in. It has gorgeous views out over the Firth of Forth and Bass Rock.

Like with my other favourite Scottish beaches (Kippford/Rockcliffe and Carrick Bay, if you’re interested), no matter what there is to do nearby, my favourite activity is always just walking down the shore or having a sit to watch the sea. North Berwick’s beaches are both gorgeous places to unwind, particularly so if you’re there in spring or autumn and it’s all a bit quieter.

Other nice beaches within walking distance from the town

If you’re visiting in summer and North Berwick is busy, or if you’re there for a few days, you should explore some of the beaches a bit further afield. These are my two favourites:

  • About five miles east of North Berwick, Seacliff has a real hidden gem of a bay. There are stunning views of Bass Rock. You can only access the beach at low tide, which makes it even more magical. You’ll also spot the ruin of an old manor house, Seacliff House, which burned down in the early 1900s, and the ruins of Tantallon Castle behind the headland (more on that further down this list). Another thing to look out for is the tiny little harbour, carved out of the sandstone. This was built in 1890 by the local laird, and some claim that it’s the tiniest harbour in Scotland.
  • The other beach near North Berwick that you’ve got to visit is Yellowcraigs, which is about three miles west of town. It’s also sometimes called Broadsands Bay. This sandy cove inspired Robert Louis Stevenson’s famous novel Treasure Island. It has spectacular views of the Victorian lighthouse on Fidra Island and is part of the John Muir Way (again, more on that later).

2. See North Berwick’s famous Bass Rock – one of the best things to do in North Berwick for nature lovers

Bass Rock was the first thing I ever heard about regarding North Berwick, many years ago. I was staying in Edinburgh and a girl working in the hotel suggested doing a day trip out to North Berwick. She sold it to me when she said: ‘It has a big white rock out to sea. But it’s not really white. It’s just covered in sh*t.’ Who wouldn’t want to go and see that?

Bass Rock is an old volcanic island that sits in the Firth of Forth just off the coast of North Berwick. It’s home to the largest colony of northern gannets in the world. Indeed, the northern gannets’ Latin name, sula bassana, comes from Bass Rock. And this all makes perfect sense when you know that Bass Rock is right by the Scottish Seabird Centre. You can watch what the gannets are up to live on the centre’s webcams, until the end of October when they wisely leave for warmer climes. 

If you’re that way inclined, you do one of the Seabird Centre’s boat trips out to Bass Rock to see the gannets up close and personal. I can’t swim so am a bit wary of doing anything boat-related so I haven’t attempted this on any of my visits yet. But I do love the idea of seeing the birds close up, especially for the photo opportunities. Sometimes the island is also home to puffins, which are adorable. Once you’ve noticed that they look like they’re walking round with their hands behind their backs, you’ll never unsee it.

If you want a nice view of Bass Rock from the town, I recommend walking along the upper level of The Lodge Gardens, which are beautiful and peaceful too.

3. Have brunch at Steampunk Coffee

I once frequented the wonderful Steampunk Coffee thrice in two days because of their savoury muffins. THE DREAM.

Located just off the high street, this trendy café is all about artisan, single-origin coffee. Sadly that’s wasted on me as a tea drinker, but it does smell lovely, and there are plenty of other things to consume that aren’t coffee. Savoury muffins, for example, and an excellent array of veggie and vegan options on the menu. The toasties, homemade cakes and pastries, and brunch options are all delicious.

As you can see from my photo, Steampunk Coffee welcomes dogs, so if you’re after things to do in North Berwick that your pup can enjoy as well, head here. 

There’s also an old ruined church, St Andrew’s Old Church, just across the road from the café, which is worth a look as you leave. Interestingly, there’s also another, smaller St. Andrew’s Old Church/Auld Kirk – St Andrew’s Aulder Kirk, maybe – just outside the Seabird Centre. The former church was eventually left to fall into a rather pretty ruin (not unlike Sweetheart Abbey but on a smaller scale) when the congregation had ‘outgrown’ it. They were probably too fat from Steampunk Café’s savoury muffins. More on the latter and its witchy connections further down this post.

4. Visit the Scottish Seabird Centre – one of the best things to do in North Berwick on a rainy day

The Scottish Seabird Centre is a big deal in North Berwick and is really well done. As a wildlife lover, I adore this kind of thing. There are exhibitions giving background information on how many different kinds of seabirds and marine mammals the area attracts and why. You really get a feel for how much humans are guests in nature’s world here. It also has plenty of features on conservation, climate chaos and all the depressing things we humans are doing to the planet. 

The main draw is the area with high-quality live cameras on all the different islands off North Berwick’s coast. You can move the cameras around yourself and zoom in or out. Depending on what time of year it is, you could be able to zoom in and watch some of the famous northern gannets on Bass Rock or some adorable little seals on the Isle of May. Other than the incredible cameras, my favourite thing is a tidal tank with hermit crabs in. They’re the cutest type of crab. In case you were wondering.

As mentioned earlier on, the Seabird Centre organises boat trips out to Bass Rock to see the gannets up close and personal. If I ever learn to swim, I’ll be right onto that.

I don’t have any decent photographs inside the centre because of indoor lighting making everything yellowy, but it’s really nicely done and everything is well laid out. And the gift shop, as ever with little museums/centres like this, is an absolute treat. Puffin-themed teatowel, anyone? Don’t mind if I do.

5. Look out for the man with binoculars and other sculptures…

Just outside the Seabird Centre, you’ll spot a well-positioned statue of a life-size outdoorsy chap with binoculars looking out to Bass Rock. He’s called The Watcher and was made by Scottish sculptor, Kenny Hunter. Interestingly, Kenny Hunter also made Citizen Firefighter, the sculpture of a firefighter you’ll have seen if you’ve ever been to Glasgow Central Station. Anyway, as you can see from the above, The Watcher is brilliant for a photo opportunity. He’s strangely life-like, especially on an overcast day when you might not notice he’s cast in bronze if you only catch him out of the corner of your eye.

Also outside the Seabird Centre, there’s a statue of a terrifyingly large arctic tern sat on a plinth and called simply Tern. This is by artist Geoffrey Dashwood. If terns were really this big, we’d be in trouble. But I for one would welcome our new tern overlords. They might do a better job of conservation than humans are managing.

Sticking with the bird theme, just next to Tern you’ll see the lovely bronze sculpture King Penguin Group, by local artist George Graham. I really enjoy the penguin looking up to the sky like he’s having a good old shout. 

Finally, as you enter North Berwick’s harbour just around the corner, there’s another beautiful sculpture called Gannet Gateway. This is by Diane Maclean, a Scottish environmental artist. It features three northern gannets set around a steel arch, one taking off, one in flight and one diving down. As you can tell, the gannets are a running theme in North Berwick.

6. Treat yourself at North Berwick’s independent shops

Over 1,000 words into this post and I’ve not even mentioned the delights of the town of North Berwick itself. What an absolute beauty it is though. The streets are lined with gorgeous hanging baskets and SO many wonderful independent homeware shops. Every time I visit, I end up wanting to buy everything, especially things I have no hope of cramming into my suitcase nor handling on the train home.

Some good shops I’ve found over the years include:

  • Westgate Galleries – This sells prints, gifts, retro North Berwick themed things. I got my North Berwick fridge magnet from here on my very first trip here.
  • Fidra Fine Art – Okay, this is a gallery more than a shop but you can purchase the local art, which of course serves as a lovely reminder of happy seaside memories.
  • Time & Tide – There’s one of these in Edinburgh too. It sells all the gorgeous homewares you could ever dream of. There are two separate shops in North Berwick. One has bigger furniture and stuff in and the other has candles and little bits that you can take home in a suitcase more easily.
  • Rock and Bird – This is good for cards to use or frame. It also does loads of notepads and similar goodies for if you have a stationery collecting problem.

As you can tell, I love buying stuff for my house. This means I don’t know North Berwick’s fashion or foodie shops quite as well, but I can definitely recommend a really nice food/market type shop called Why Not?. If you’re staying in a self-catering place, this is a great shout for breakfast stuff.

7. Hang out with witches at St Andrew’s Auld Kirk

As pretty and charming as North Berwick is, the town also has a darker side. It was once the centre of some of the most brutal and horrific witch trials. Hundreds of so-called ‘witches’ in the area were imprisoned, tortured and killed at the hand of King James VI. James had a real fear of witches (read: a problem with women having any independence).

In 1589, he was sailing to Denmark to pick up a Scandinavian hottie he wanted to marry. But a storm forced his crew to turn back, putting him in a proper foul mood. So much so that he needed someone to blame, other than the weather. Guess whose fault it was? Witches, apparently. Now, I don’t know about you but if I was a woman in the 1500s who knew how to use herbs to stop period pains etc, the last thing I’d be wasting my time on would be trying to summon a storm to stop a member of the royal family going on a jolly. I’d have far better things to do, like finding a vaccine for the plague or something.

But James didn’t think logically about this. He even decided that one witch had sailed from North Berwick into the Firth of Forth on a kitchen sieve to call up the storm. As you do. A sieve is a novel alternative to a broomstick, I suppose. Even Shakespeare was familiar with James’s witchy issues. The opening scene of Macbeth directly references the sieve incident:

‘But in a sieve, I’ll thither sail
And, like a rat without a tail,
I’ll so, I’ll do, I’ll do’

St Andrew’s Auld Kirk, outside the Seabird Centre (not to be confused with the one outside Steampunk), is apparently where the North Berwick witches used to meet, sieves and all. The church was later destroyed by a storm in 1656. Now only its porch remains, as shown in my photo above. Pop inside to see gravestones unearthed during archaeological digs. But if a storm starts brewing, it might be worth avoiding any kitchen utensils for the day…

8. Walk up the Law – one of the best things to do in North Berwick on a clear day

The Law is sort of North Berwick’s answer to Edinburgh’s Arthur’s Seat. It’s a volcanic rock towering over the town, casting an impressive backdrop when viewed from the beaches. And it improves your photos tenfold.

You can walk up the Law to get some panoramic views across the coastline and to Edinburgh and the Forth Road Bridge. This is one of the nicest things to do in North Berwick on a sunny day or if you have a doggy friend with you who’ll enjoy the exercise. The signposted walk begins in The Law car park, a 15-minute trot from the town. It takes about 40 minutes to get to the summit from there.

En route up, you might be lucky enough to see some of the lovely local Exmoor ponies. As a lifelong equestrian, this is always one of the highlights of a North Berwick trip for me. They’re there to do a job (as well as look cute). They’re conservation grazing on the land, getting rid of the overgrown gorse and coarse grass species. I think my horse would like to know where to apply for a job there too. If you love seeing the Exmoors, you’ll be pleased to hear they also have their own Facebook page you can follow for updates.

Once you’ve prised yourself away from the ponies and reach the summit of the Law, you’ll be rewarded with some incredible views. There’s also a replica set of whale jawbones to mark the summit. There have been various whale jawbones marking this spot since the 1700s. When the last set of real ones rotted away, the council replaced them with the current fibreglass replica. This is perfect to have your obligatory ‘we did it!’ photograph with before you make your way back down the Law.

9. Have a delicious gelato

No seaside trip would be complete without an ice cream. North Berwick goes one step up and offers the slightly fancier option of gelato, which you can get from the wonderful Alandas Gelateria in the town centre.

I’m a die-hard Mr Whippy fan but you can never say no to a gelato, especially when this shop has perfected it and scooped up a wall-full of awards for its work (scoop pun very much intended). Highly recommended and the perfect reward for a day of walking and enjoying the fresh air.

10. Find the teeny weeny house

I’m always intrigued by this single-storey house on Victoria Road (Google Maps location here). It’s called Puffin Cottage, continuing the seabird theme of course, and it appears to be someone’s real home rather than a holiday let.

There’s not really much to say about it other than it’s very small, possibly home to Borrowers or Hobbits. It has an eye-catching pan-tiled roof, which is typical of this area.

If you’re walking towards the shore, you’ll naturally pass it and won’t be able to resist having a photo with it to show how tiny it is. It looks even smaller as it’s wedged between normal-sized terraced houses, too. Lovely stuff.

11. Walk a portion of the famous John Muir Way

Spanning 215km of beautiful Scottish coastal scenery, the John Muir Way is an epic walking route. It goes from Helensburgh to Dunbar (where John Muir himself was born). But the important thing to note is that a portion of the walk can be done from North Berwick.

There are actually two lovely walks you can do that cover a bit of the John Muir way:

  • Prestonpans to North Berwick – This is a 26.4km walk to North Berwick from the village of Prestonpans. There are hourly trains to Prestonpans from North Berwick. The journey takes about 20 mins and costs around £6. Once you’re there, you’re looking at around 5 hours of walking but the terrain is easy and the landscape stunning.
  • North Berwick to Dunbar – This is a 25km walk, this time starting from North Berwick and heading to Dunbar, the official end of the John Muir Way. Again, it’s around 5 hours of walking. There are some steep bits and I’d say it’s a bit harder than the other walk due to some more rugged terrain. But you’ll be rewarded with spectacular views for your efforts. Once you’ve reached the end in Dunbar, you can get the 120 bus back to North Berwick, which takes about 30 mins.

I’m not a walking expert at all, so feel free not to listen to me, but my recommendation would be the Dunbar one if you don’t have the time/energy to do both on your trip. It ends on a real high (literally) with some brilliant clifftop views. Plus you get to say you ‘got to the end of the John Muir Way’. You can just not mention the fact you only did the last bit…

12. Listen to the jangling boats in North Berwick harbour

The historic harbour is one of my favourite bits of North Berwick. There’s nothing better on a windy day than sitting and listening to all the boats clinking and jingling – one of the best sounds ever. You can hop around on the rocks on the edge of the harbour too, like some kind of coastal mountain goat.

North Berwick’s harbour was originally built for pilgrims en route to Fife back in 1150 but today it’s all about fishing and leisure. The red sandstone buildings remind me a bit of Copenhagen, and it definitely gives you the same ‘bracing’ coastal experience when it’s blowing a hoolie. 

The harbour is also home to the famous Lobster Shack, a beloved North Berwick institution serving up local seafood caught just a stone’s throw from the shack itself. In the summer, you’ll probably notice the queue before anything else, such is its popularity with both locals and tourists. It’s a seasonal pop up though so just make sure you check the opening times before you bank on it for lunch. But if you’re there when it’s running, go for the half lobster and chips, plus a portion of calamari. Impressively, they also have a vegan option (veggie soup), which makes me happy.

13. Head to Herringbone for brilliant cocktails and food

North Berwick has more than its fair share of gorgeous independent restaurants. Herringbone is one of my favourites and I’ve recommended it to so many friends over the years who’ve loved it too. It’s stylish inside, with exposed brick, whitewashed chairs and geometric designs.

Most importantly, Herringbone does the most gorgeous gin cocktail I have ever had (and that is HIGH praise because I’ve sampled a lot). It’s a gin-and-thyme delight called the NB Seadog. Please have one for me while you’re there.

The food menu includes plenty of locally sourced food and also caters well to various dietary requirements. And the separate vegan menu is great. I’m always wary of recommending specific dishes on the blog because you know how frequently menus change, but I love the sweet potato gnocchi for a starter.

14. Pop into the Coastal Communities Museum

The Coastal Communities Museum is only small but it’s worth seeing. It has plenty of well-laid-out information on the local area’s history and heritage, as well as ever-changing exhibitions. I’ve just checked and the current one (at the time of writing) is on seaside retro postcards. You know the kind you’d buy a print of in a black frame from Etsy for your bathroom? Very on trend.

You’ll find the museum above North Berwick library. It’s free to enter but you can give a donation as you leave. It’s entirely run by volunteers, who are lovely and happy to chat about all things North Berwick.

15. Watch the sun go down from the beach – one of the best things to do in North Berwick in summer

It sounds obvious, but it’s easy to get sucked into perusing shops or having a drink in the evening and forget what’s going on outside. Make sure you allocate at least one evening on your North Berwick trip to sitting on the beach as the sun goes down. Bliss.

The sunsets here are fantastic. Don’t forget your camera.

16. Check out the Catherine Watson Monument

While you’re meandering about near the Seabird Centre, you’ll naturally spot the Catherine Watson Monument. It’s a red granite Celtic cross with a bronze plaque on it with a portrait of Catherine Watson on it, made by her friends at the Glasgow School of Art. As you can probably guess, there’s rather a depressing back story to it. 

On 27 July 1889, Catherine, a 19-year-old girl from Glasgow, jumped into the sea in North Berwick’s East Bay to attempt to rescue a drowning child. Catherine had only returned from a swim herself when she spotted the boy from her house, being swept out to sea. She was a pure badass, didn’t hesitate and went straight in to try to save him. But unfortunately, the sea was too rough and she ended up drowning. The child was saved as the coastguard got involved.

While this isn’t exactly a cheery tale, the monument is important because it commemorates a woman for a change. I’m not counting Queen Victoria, who managed to get a statue of herself bloody everywhere (an achievement we should all aspire to TBH). I found a really good website while I was researching it that you might be interested in, called Women of Scotland. This is a project that maps all the women’s memorials around the country. Enjoy.

17. Walk down the real-life Quality Street

Yes, believe it or not, North Berwick has a real street called Quality Street. How brilliant is that? I imagine all my non-UK readers (hello if that’s you) are slightly confused as to why this street name is so remarkable. Well, this is why.

While Quality Street is lacking in actual chocolates, it has plenty of other charms. (Plus I reckon Quality Streets are rubbish sugary minging chocolate anyway, even The Purple One – sorry to any fans). There are flowers everywhere, some gorgeous colourful houses, and an area to sit near the war memorial, which features a model lighthouse. 

Bonus things to do in North Berwick – just outside the town

Although North Berwick is a great place to visit in itself, there are a few things just outside the town that you might want to do too. I’ve focused on castles and booze for this section, two things I enjoy.

I’ve not tried to cover all the things to do in North Berwick’s surrounding areas. I never attempt to make an exhaustive list (for example, I’ve not included the National Museum of Flight, an aviation museum, which isn’t my cup of tea at all). Feel free to add even more suggestions in the comments below!

18. Explore the ruins of Tantallon Castle

The ruined Tantallon Castle, once an imposing 14th-century fortress, looks out over the Firth of Forth from the cliff edge.

This sandstone castle was home to the Red Douglas family for centuries, surviving lots of sieges as the dynasty struggled against the crown. It was finally destroyed by Cromwell’s armies in 1651. If you visit, it’s £6 to get in and you can do a tour that shows you different artefacts from its history and takes you through some of its more intact rooms so you can imagine how it once was. But the most interesting bit is its creepy pit prison, which I would definitely put money on being haunted. On a lighter note, it has some great views of Bass Rock if you climb to the top. 

You can walk from North Berwick to Tantallon Castle in about an hour, along the coast or follow the road. However, it can be a muddy and blustery walk, plus you should probably avoid high tide. The 120 bus to Dunbar is a bit easier and only takes 20 minutes. But like most countryside services, it’s rather infrequent so do check times carefully. Hopping in a taxi for the 10-minute journey is by far the easiest option, and will only set you back about a tenner.

19. See the longest herbaceous border in the WORLD

If you’ve already been to Tantallon Castle, you might be wondering why I’m shoving another similar castle onto this list. It even has a similarly creepy prison. But Dirleton Castle for me is more about the gardens than the castle itself. 

This 13th-century castle, again like Tantallon, was badly damaged by Cromwell’s crew. But it was later bought by the Nisbet family, who improved the gardens over the years and really revamped everything.

Today, the gorgeous gardens include a Victorian garden, an unusual doocot (pigeon house) and a massive Arts and Crafts herbaceous border. The herbaceous border is even in the Guinness Book of Records as the world’s longest, at 215 metres. If that’s not a selling point, I don’t know what is.

The castle is £6 to get in. I wouldn’t recommend walking there as you’d have to follow a big road. But you can get there in about 10 minutes on the 124 bus to Edinburgh or get a taxi, which will be fairly cheap.

20. Have a tipple at NB Distillery – one of the best things to do in North Berwick for gin lovers

You’ll be surprised (and if you’re anything like me, pleased) to hear that the NB Distillery doesn’t do whisky. Shock horror while in Scotland, I know. Instead, it distils its own award-winning gin, vodka and rum. And these are all things I enjoy much more than whisky if I’m honest. 

Ginthusiasts will be in heaven with all the delicious gins and gin cocktails you can sample on a tour of NB Distillery. Apparently even the queen enjoys a bit of NB gin, so you’re in good company.

The distillery itself is an absolute delight. It’s bright and airy, with a tasting room that has the kind of chic interior styling that you’d expect to see in a boutique hotel. You can do different tours, from spending an hour doing tastings and hearing about the process, to the full two-hour connoisseur tour that takes it to the next level with canapés and everything. If you’re visiting North Berwick for a special occasion, the latter would be a good treat. Whatever tour you fancy doing, you can book on their website and check times. Tours also run in the morning, proving what we’ve all known for a long time: it’s never too early for gin.

Again, you can get to NB Distillery on our infrequent friend the 120 bus to Dunbar (18 minutes) or via a taxi (10 minutes). It’s not one to do with a car, for obvious reasons. 

Useful information: things to do in North Berwick, Scotland 

How to get there 

If you’re coming from Edinburgh, get the train from Waverley to North Berwick. This takes about half an hour and is a really pretty journey, with lots of nice countryside to enjoy through the window.

Where to stay

I’ve done a lot of research into North Berwick accommodation over the years. There are plenty of holiday rentals but the more affordable ones are aimed at families/groups rather than couples. And they’re frequently only bookable for a week so if you’re only looking for a shorter break then quite a few get ruled out.

If you’re after something stylish, in the centre of town, under £90 a night, and available for a short stay (my usual criteria for my UK-based trips), you’ll probably struggle as I have. Let me know in the comments if you’ve discovered anywhere that fits that bill though, please. Your best bet may be AirBNB, something I usually try to avoid for ethical reasons.

Here are a few options worth looking into. Prices are correct at the time of writing but like with most popular towns, they go up at popular times. As you can tell, NB’s popularity means it’s not the cheapest place to stay.

  • Nether Abbey Hotel – This is what I’d call a ‘treat’ option, at £200ish a night, but it is nice.
  • A Bit On The Side – A cute little cabin near the railway station. Much more affordable at <£90ish a night.

When to go

My favourite time to visit North Berwick would be mid-September. You’re in with a chance of utterly perfect weather but the volume of other tourists is nicely diminished. It’s also lovely to visit in spring or very early summer.

If you can, try to avoid the height of summer when the summer holiday crowds and day-trippers from Edinburgh make it busier. And if you’re allergic to children like me, avoid any school holiday times. Bear in mind both Scottish and English, which differ slightly so do check.

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45 Comments

  1. Pity to have missed the trip out to the Bass Rock to see the gannets. It’s one of the best sights in Scotland, a country renowned for amazing sights. You put on survival suits and life jackets so it’s quite safe. You see puffins on the isle of Inverleith, kittiwakes on May, and the wonderful gannets on Bass, which is now the world’s largest colony of these extraordinary birds. And it’s not so much the shit that makes the Bass Rock white – more like 150,00 pairs of white birds jammed onto its surface. As someone who lives partly in Dumfriesshire and partly in NB (on the East Beach!) I don’t think the ruined Kirk in NB is anything like as spectacular as Sweetheart Abbey.

    1. Hi Janet, maybe next time we’ll be braver. I think the fact neither of us can swim was a factor haha. The guy in the bird centre said it was all white poo! Disappointing if it’s actually not… And yes, Sweetheart Abbey is the best. You’re very lucky living in my two favourite Scottish areas.

  2. Despite growing up in Newcastle I did not know there was a North Berwick (I’ve just had to google it and Berwick to be sure). But I have clearly missed a treat (a Quality Street treat). I love the windswept beach, the little shops and the coastal walks. Next time I’m up there, I will totally be checking it out.

  3. I am now thoroughly kicking myself that I didn’t visit North Berwick on my last trip to Edinburgh. So many beautiful and fun things to do in one place! I’m missing walking a UK high street for the cute shops as well!

  4. Wow! North Berwick looks so charming and beautiful. I really want to visit this seaside town next time I’m in Scotland. Love this guide! 🙂

  5. What a pretty little town! I would never have thought there were so many things to do in North Berwick! That teeny weeny house looks adorable! I’d definitely love to see it! Thanks for the great guide!

  6. I could not stop laughing at your description of James and the ingenious witches of North Berwick who stop at nothing to ensure he can’t go on a jolly. Better watch out for those herbs and kitchen utensils!

  7. This takes me back to my childhood visits to North Berwick and visits in recent years. Love the Steampunk for lunch or coffee and the views towards Bass Rock are still my favourite.

  8. I used to drive through here a lot while I was at university in Scotland but never actually stopped long enough to see what it had to offer. Adding it to my list the next time I’m up there!

  9. This does look like the perfect seaside town! On our list now when we get to Scotland! Thanks for putting it on our radar 🙂

  10. Really enjoyed this, thank you! We were thinking of another roadtrip round Scotland this year and had never heard of North Berwick. It’s been added to the list!

  11. I love North Berwick! I’ll definitely have to check some of these places out that I haven’t seen there. There’s a Quality Street in Edinburgh too, haha! Also I’ve never even heard of Dirleton Castle?! But you’re right, the gardens there look gorgeous.

  12. No mention of the gorgeous Lodge grounds park or the ancient church ruins and graveyard? Also Preston Water Mill is only 15 minutes away.. definitely more to expand your list for your next visit.

    1. I mentioned both the Lodge Gardens and the ruined church!

      Preston Mill is on my list though, as well as Inveresk Gardens a bit further away – got to cover all the National Trust places in the area one day…

  13. I absolutely love North berwick spent a huge amount of my teens there as my uncle lived just off the beach. The trips out to the islands where amazing even if I did almost break my ankle walking round with the puffins really must go again soon to relive a little bit of my childhood

  14. I love your photos of this pretty little town. Good idea to combine the many attractions of Edinburgh with a blast of sea air only half an hour away. A really nice contrast.

  15. Fab article having just returned from Seton and spent the day in North Berwick think you did this Seaside town justice. Wish I read this before going!! Unfortunately Tantallon castle was closed but didn’t manage to go to see Hailes Castle. Lovely place we’ll be going again and will save this for planning our next trip.

  16. My husband and I went to North Berwick today and loved it!
    We had lunch at the bird centre and found the teeny house.
    Spent a very happy few hours mooching around. Easy and cheap to get to from Edinburgh.
    Jackie

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