East Lothian stretches east from Musselburgh, to the east of Edin- burgh, along the coast to North Berwick and Dunbar. This is real golfing country, with a string of excellent courses running the length of the coast, and there are miles of sandy beaches. The East Lothian coast is also home to huge colonies of seabirds, especially on the Bass Rock, a dramatic volcanic islet off North Berwick. Inland is the attractive historic market town of Haddington and the excellent Museum of Flight. There are good transport links with Edinburgh – trains stop in Musselburgh and North Berwick, and there are regular buses to all the main towns. SightsMusselburgh Trains from Waverley station North Berwick stop in Musselburgh. Six miles east of Edinburgh, across the River Esk, is the town of Musselburgh. It’s a fairly humdrum place, but may be of interest to golfing enthusiasts as the original home of golf. It is also a target for naturalists who come to see the huge populations of migrating waders, ducks and seabirds. Ice cream lovers may also be interest- ed to note that Luca’s on the High Street has most of the compet- ition licked. Aberlady Buses from St Andrew station to North Berwick stop in Aberlady. Further east is the conservation village of Aberlady, at the mouth of the River Peffer. A row of Georgian cottages lines the main street and there’s a lovely old church which hints at Aberlady’s erstwhile importance as a port. The old harbour is silted up and now forms part of the mudflats and salt marshes of the Aberlady Bay Nature Reserve, home to numerous seabirds. Gullane Buses from St Andrew station to North Berwick stop in Gullane. Gullane is a resort town with an exclusive air which is hopelessly devoted to golf. There are no fewer than four golf courses surroun- ding Gullane, including Muirfield with its antediluvian attitudes. Windsurfing has recently been gaining in popularity, offering a more democratic alternative. Dirleton Castle T 01620-850330, http://www.historic-scotland.gov.uk">http://www.historic-scotland.gov.uk Apr-Sep daily 0930-1830; Oct-Mar Mon-Sat 0930-1630, Sun 1400-1630. Adults £3, concessions £2.30, children £1. Between Gullane and North Berwick is the attractive little village of Dirleton, dominated by its ruined castle which dates from the 12th century. The gorgeous gardens, which date from the 16th century, are well worth a visit. At the eastern end of the village a road runs north for a mile or so to Yellowcraigs, where there’s a lovely clean beach and views across to Fidra Island. North Berwick Scottish Seabird Centre, T 01620-890202, http://www.seabird.org Daily 1000-1800 in summer; 1000-1600 in winter. Adults £4.95, children and concessions £3.35. £7.50 including rail travel from Scotrail.. There are frequent buses (124, X5) and trains from Edinburgh. The dignified and slightly faded Victorian seaside resort of North Berwick lies half and hour east of Edinburgh. The main attraction is the excellent Scottish Sea Bird Centre by the harbour. It has live footage of puffins and gannets nesting on nearby Fidra and Bass Rock. There are also various displays and interactive technology. The town also has some good sandy beaches and two excellent golf courses, the West Links and the Glen. North Berwick is over- looked by Berwick Law, a 613-ft volcanic crag. It’s an easy walk to the top, and the views on a clear day are rewarding. Take Law Road out of town and then follow the signs. Bass Rock and Fidra http://www.north-berwick.co.uk/bass Three miles offshore is the 350 ft-high Bass Rock, a massive, guano- covered lump of basalt, used as a prison in the 17th century but now home to millions of nesting gannets and other seabirds incl- uding guillemots, razorbills and fulmars. There are also puffins nesting on the nearby island of Fidra. Sir David Attenborough described the Bass Rock as one of the 12 wildlife wonders of the world, so obviously it is well worth taking a closer look. There are boat trips (about 1¼ hours) from North Berwick, weather permit- ting, to the Bass Rock and Fidra, daily between May and September with Chris Marr, T 01620-892838, sula2@bosinternet.com Tantallon Castle T 01620-892727, http://www.historic-scotland.gov.uk">http://www.historic-scotland.gov.uk Apr-Sep daily 0930-1830; Oct-Mar Mon-Wed and Sat 0930-1630, Thu 0930-1200, Fri and Sun 1400-1630. Adults £3, concessions £2.30, children £1. Take the Dunbar bus from North Berwick. Three miles east of North Berwick, off the A198, are the mid-14th- century ruins of Tantallon Castle, perched on the edge of the cliffs, looking out to the Bass Rock. This formidable fortress was the strong-hold of the ‘Red Douglases’, Earls of Angus, until Cromwell’s attack in 1651, which left only the 50 ft-high curtain wall intact. There’s a great beach a few miles south of Tantallon. Turn left off the A198 at Auldhame Farm, follow the road for about a mile to the gate (small toll charge) and beyond to the car park. Haddington and around First Edinburgh run regular buses to and from St Andrew bus station. There are also hourly buses to North Berwick (Mon-Sat, less frequently on Sun; 45 mins). Handsome Haddington is a prosperous country town only 15 miles east of Edinburgh, making it ideal for a pleasant day out from the rigours of city life. The compact town centre is a very attractive place to stroll around. No fewer than 129 buildings have been list- ed as historically interesting, including the graceful Town House, in tree-lined Court Street, which was built in 1748 by William Adam, father of Robert. At the east end of the High Street, Church Street leads to St Mary’s Collegiate Church, the largest parish church in Scotland, dating from the 14th century and restored in the 1970s. It’s a particularly beautiful ecclesiastical building and enjoys a lovely setting on the river (Apr-Sep Mon-Sat 1100-1600, Sun 1400-1630, free). Buried in the churchyard is Jane Welsh (1801-66), wife of essayist and historian Thomas Carlyle. The Jane Welsh Carlyle Museum, at 2 Lodge Street, was her home until her marriage, and part of it is open to the public (Apr-Sep Wed-Sat 1400-1700, adults, £1.50, concessions £1). One mile south of Haddington is Lennoxlove House, seat of the Duke of Hamilton. Inside are some fine paintings and furniture, but the pièce de resistance is the death mask of Mary, Queen of Scots, and a silver casket in which she kept her letters, given to her by her first husband, Francis II of France (Easter-Oct Wed, Thu, Sun and some Sats 1400-1630, adults £4, children £2). Museum of Flight East Fortune Airfield, T 01620-880308. Easter-Oct daily 1030-1700 (Jul-Aug till 1800); Nov-Easter daily 1030-1600. Easter-Oct: adults £3, concessions £1.50, children free. Nov-Easter: adults £1.50, concessions £0.75. Bus 121 from North Berwick or Haddington several times daily Apr-Sep. Four miles northeast of Haddington, at East Fortune, is the Museum of Flight, Scotland’s National Museum of Aviation. Housed in a complex of Second World War hangars and nissen huts, it’s a vast and impressive collection of old aircraft and wartime memorabilia.
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