Lothian Coast

[jmarkb]

I'm not normally a fan of flat walks (and as you will see, I sneaked a wee hill into this one). I'm also not a fan of out-and-back routes either, if I can help it. I love the East Lothian coast, and have done various short walks along bits of it, but I realised that you can use the train (or, as it turned out, the exasperatingly slow bus replacing the train service ) to do a nice long section end-to-end from Longniddry to North Berwick. Sticking to the coast seems a much better option than the official John Muir Way, which is mainly inland on this section.

The weather was mostly sunny and quite windy, but the wind was mostly at my back and the rough seas (rough by Firth of Forth standards anyway) added some drama. The section between Gosford Bay and Aberlady Bay I hadn't done before and didn't know how easy it would be, but it turns out to be fine, though maybe best to avoid the highest tides, as you might then be forced into the trees and onto the golf course.
There were seals basking on a sand bank off the point, and Aberlady Bay was full of birds, with the geese having started to arrive for the winter. Near Gullane Point there were little flocks of sanderling dancing along the shore: they are quite tame and will let you get within a few yards of them. There were also some lovely wind-blown patterns in the sand on the dunes. Gullane Bay was, as usual, busy, but the crowds soon thinned out again further east. The offshore islands (Fidra, Lamb and the Bass Rock) come into view
one by one as you head east and before long I was into the home straight to North Berwick.

Since I had never been up the Law, I added that on too: it was actually quite nice to be going uphill for a change! The weather had clouded over a bit, but it was good to see the whole coastline I had walked stratching back off into the distance.

Route map

NBL.gpx Open full screen  NB: Walkhighlands is not responsible for the accuracy of gpx files in users posts

Kite surfers in Gosford Bay


Aberlady Bay


My final destination come into view


Swans, ducks, geese and gulls


Gullane Point


Sanderling


Patterns in the dunes






Fidra


Bass Rock


Turnstones


Loking back east from the Law

[hills]

Nice, i've been doing a fair bit of walking on the lothian coast recently, but mainly further up the estuary, very unheralded scenary, must go a little further and try a bit of this walk.

[LeithySuburbs]

Love this bit of coast - so many secret wee beaches . No bad for those of a golfing persuasion either .

[foggieclimber]

Nice!
Nowt wrong with a bit of coastal walking.
Walking the shore makes a pleasant change from walking the hills.

[mrssanta]

fantastic photies, I particularly like the arty sand ones.

[jmarkb]

fantastic photies, I particularly like the arty sand ones.

Thank you!

Walking the shore makes a pleasant change from walking the hills.

Sometimes I get to wondering what makes a good walk good. A walk is a one-dimensional line through a two-and-a-bit dimensional landscape, and, for me, following a elegant line (like a ridge or a valley) is somehow satisfying, and the line between the sea and the land certainly qualifies, too.

Oops, bit too much philosophy for this time in the morning!

[nigheandonn]

Having done the John Muir Way 'properly' (well, in bits, but sticking to the route), I still want to go back and do North Berwick to Aberlady along the coast - it looks lovely.
(That said, one of my favourite parts of the JMW was the inland part from the Tyne Estuary to North Berwick - but it wasn't quite as good past there.)

[LaurenAlexandra]

I really want to try this walk now! I've always loved coastal walking, and haven't had a chance to do any in ages. Easily accessible from Edinburgh, too!

[Malckyb]

Fab pics of a really lovely wee part of the world..

[Scotjamie]

Thanks jmarkb

Nice to see this area again, especially with such nice pics. The walk from Aberlady Bay to NB is especially enjoyable if it involves a detour into Dirleton for the Castle Inn (though the Archerfield incumbents don't quite get 'freedom to roam'). I agree that coast is best and the John Muir Way is an inferior way to walk this route (imho).

The Law is a great wee training ground, featuring small outcrops for scrambling on the south side with a nice steep ascent from the east.
It also has a quarry on the southern boundary that features in climbing magazines and websites https://www.scottishclimbs.com/wiki/North_Berwick_Law_Quarry

I mainly like it because the NB Law trig point is a 20 minute walk from my front door....thanks again