Why visit North Berwick?
North Berwick’s seafront
With a well-preserved historic harbour, direct access to two sandy beaches and plenty of nautical-feeling cafés and restaurants, there’s little wonder North Berwick is so popular with visitors. Many people come here on day trips from Edinburgh, which is just over half an hour from the town by road or rail. But with so many top-quality campsites in the North Berwick area, staying here for a longer stint could be a very smart move indeed.
The views here aren’t quite like your typical seaside town – Bass Rock, a steep-sided volcanic islet that’s a haven for seabirds, is always on the horizon, roughly at the point where the Firth of Forth joins the North Sea. Learn more about the wildlife that depend on the rock at the Scottish Seabird Centre, or take a catamaran ride from the pier to see Bass Rock and its inhabitants up close.
Lothian’s best castles
There’s stiff competition when it comes to castles in Scotland, but Lothian is more than able to hold its own. The area around North Berwick is particularly worth a visit if you’ve come to this part of the world to see historic buildings – Tantallon Castle, a ruined 14th-century fortress, stands in a spectacular clifftop location about three miles from the town centre, while similarly nearby Dirleton Castle, three miles inland along the A198, has gorgeous gardens and Cromwell-era history to explore.
Year-round events
North Berwick’s a lively sort of place given its size, with a year-round programme of special events that’ll keep you coming back for more. Annual favourites include Puffin Fest, which coincides with the return of everyone’s favourite seabird to the Firth of Forth in May, while in August visitors can look forward to the North Berwick Highland Games. Foodies coming here in September should definitely try to attend the Berwick Food and Beer Festival too – hosted in the town’s 18th-century barracks and just a short stroll from the sea, it’s a very relaxing way to explore new places and flavours.
The best things to do around North Berwick
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The Scottish Seabird Centre by the pier is a must-see, whether you’re a keen ornithologist or just a curious visitor. Tours of Bass Rock and other neighbouring islands are available in the high season, allowing you to get close to the largest colony of northern gannets in the world
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For some sport, bring your golfing gear and head to North Berwick Golf Club for a game on its championship links course
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North Berwick has plenty of sandy beaches and rockpools of its own, but it’s also worth driving a little out of town to explore more of the best beaches in Lothian. Yellowcraig beach has spectacular views over Fidra lighthouse and is backed by sand dunes, while Aberlady Bay is a nature reserve with boardwalks, spacious stretches of sand and tidal marshes
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Preston Mill is a National Trust for Scotland-managed watermill with an unusual Dutch-style conical roof. Just across from the mill is the ‘Phantassie Doocot’, a 16th-century dovecote built to house up to 500 pigeons
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Got kids to entertain? East Links Family Park near Dunbar has giant slides, trampolines and a menagerie of animals ranging from guinea pigs to prairie dogs
Unexplored North Berwick
North Berwick Law
North Berwick Law is a steep hill just outside town with fantastic views over the coast, Edinburgh and the far-off Pentland Hills. Like much of the local landscape, North Berwick Law is volcanic in origin. The hill was actually originally a volcanic plug of hard rock, which allowed it to survive the melting glaciers that swept away many surrounding geological features during the last ice age. A whale’s jawbone has traditionally stood at the summit since at least the 18th century (although, since 2007, a synthetic replica has been in place).
North Berwick churches
North Berwick town centre has two old churches, which are easily confused because of their very similar names. St Andrew’s Old Kirk used to be a landmark for pilgrims on their way to the holy sites of Fife before being mostly washed away in a freak storm in the 1600s. Its replacement, St Andrew's Kirk Ports, was built a few minutes’ walk away and is mostly still standing.
The John Muir Way
North Berwick is located close to the eastern end of the John Muir Way, a 134-mile coast-to-coast route joining Lothian with Argyll. Starting out from North Berwick, you can either walk east over the cliffs to Dunbar or west to Prestonpans, a coastal town just outside Edinburgh that played a major role in the Industrial Revolution.
Here’s how
North Berwick is within easy reach of a range of Lothian places to stay: everytihing from budget-friendly tent campsites to smart glamping locations, plus places to park your motorhome or caravan. Popular options include:
If you’re still on the look-out for the site that ticks all your boxes, consider expanding your search to take in all Pitchup campsites in Lothian. Alternatively, you might like to look north across the Firth of Forth to the Kingdom of Fife, or head south across the border into England to find coastal campsites in Northumberland.
