Arrive in Dunbar, which is easily accessible in approximately 30 minutes by train from Edinburgh. You can also drive and leave your car in Dunbar for the duration of your trip and then get a train back from Berwick-upon Tweed to Dunbar which takes 25 minutes. This picturesque harbour town on the Berwickshire coast is a hidden Scottish gem and birthplace of the conservationist John Muir. With its small independent shops and wide high street, museum and a ruined castle, where Mary Queen of Scots took refuge, there is plenty to explore.
Overnight Dunbar
Accommodations
A sample of our typical carefully chosen accommodation in this location. Where you stay will vary depending on availability, but will be a similar standard.
The Royal Mackintosh Hotel is an independently family run hotel situated in the seaside town of Dunbar, it has 16 bedrooms all of which are en-suite. Each room contains a tv and dvd player, tea and coffee making facilities and a hairdryer. Free wifi is available in the public areas. The Mauretania Restaurant is open to both hotel guests and visitors. It is named after the RMS Mauretania and the restaurant itself is decorated with wood panelling taken from the ship's boardroom.
The Rocks at Dunbar has 11 rooms, which all enjoy superb views across to Victoria Harbour and the ruins of Dunbar Castle, or over to Winterfield Golf Course and Belhaven Bay. Enjoy a delicious meal in the Inn’s restaurant and revel in the views across to Victoria Harbour and the ruins of Dunbar Castle.
You will be guaranteed a warm welcome when you check into this B&B. This guest house has modern facilities in a traditional period house in its own grounds. All rooms are comfortably furnished and have all the amenities you require for a lovely overnight stay including free WIFI, relaxing rooms overlooking surrounding gardens and breakfast prepared to Healthy Living Award standards.
On today's walk along the John Muir Way link trail, there will be plenty of coastal views as the route hugs the shore. After setting off from the harbour you pass the Barns Ness Lighthouse. Standing at 37m tall and built between 1899 and 1901 by the novelist Robert Louis Stevenson's cousins, it is a distinctive feature of the landscape. With sandy beaches en route, you will be sure to enjoy the peacefulness of this day. You will be transferred back to Dunbar for a second overnight (20 minutes).
Overnight Dunbar
Accommodations
A sample of our typical carefully chosen accommodation in this location. Where you stay will vary depending on availability, but will be a similar standard.
You will be guaranteed a warm welcome when you check into this B&B. This guest house has modern facilities in a traditional period house in its own grounds. All rooms are comfortably furnished and have all the amenities you require for a lovely overnight stay including free WIFI, relaxing rooms overlooking surrounding gardens and breakfast prepared to Healthy Living Award standards.
The Rocks at Dunbar has 11 rooms, which all enjoy superb views across to Victoria Harbour and the ruins of Dunbar Castle, or over to Winterfield Golf Course and Belhaven Bay. Enjoy a delicious meal in the Inn’s restaurant and revel in the views across to Victoria Harbour and the ruins of Dunbar Castle.
The Royal Mackintosh Hotel is an independently family run hotel situated in the seaside town of Dunbar, it has 16 bedrooms all of which are en-suite. Each room contains a tv and dvd player, tea and coffee making facilities and a hairdryer. Free wifi is available in the public areas. The Mauretania Restaurant is open to both hotel guests and visitors. It is named after the RMS Mauretania and the restaurant itself is decorated with wood panelling taken from the ship's boardroom.
Today a transfer back to Cockburnspath to begin your walk to St Abbs is included. This is the official start of the Berwickshire Coastal Trail and you will be initially walking to Cove Harbour, used by smugglers in the 1700's. Then follow the coast past Pease Bay, a Site of Special Scientific Interest which is managed by the Scottish Wildlife Trust as a Nature Reserve. Keep a lookout for woodpeckers, treecreepers, dippers and various tits and finches. Roe deer and red squirrels have also been known to make this reserve their home.
Pass the ancient remains of Fast Castle (rebuilt in 1522) and then see St Abbs Head before you, a National Nature Reserve and home to an array of seabirds, including kitty hawks, puffins (in season), and guillemots. Here you are on the highest cliffs on the Berwickshire Coastal Path and some of the highest in the UK. Another transfer will take you to Eyemouth, where you'll stay for two consecutive nights.Â
Overnight Eyemouth
Accommodations
A sample of our typical carefully chosen accommodation in this location. Where you stay will vary depending on availability, but will be a similar standard.
The Home Arms is a family-run B&B located at the heart the seaside resort and picturesque fishing port of Eyemouth. A historic listed building, the large house has run as a hotel & guest house since the late 1880s. While still retaining its charm and character, the whole house has been modernised and there is plenty of room to relax in comfort. Rooms have Tea & Coffee making facilities, TV/DVD/ Radio and FREE Wireless Internet.
After a hearty and sustaining breakfast an included transfer will take you to St Abbs. Although the walk is short today, there is plenty to explore and this gives you the extra time to do exactly that. If you did not have the time to explore St Abbs yet then now is the time to do it. It's an attractive fishing village and you can also check out its lighthouse (you will have to divert off the trail and backtrack slightly to St Abbs).
After a detour and lingering in lovely St Abbs follow the coastline to Eyemouth, the largest town in Berwickshire with lots to discover. It is also a fishing port and remains one of the busiest in Scotland, with around 80 boats regularly fishing out of it and a bustling early morning trade at the fish market. You could also visit the Eyemouth Museum which provides information about its fishing history, including the storm in 1881 which destroyed the local fishing fleet. Spend the afternoon exploring, before you can check into your welcoming accommodation.Â
Overnight Eyemouth
Accommodations
A sample of our typical carefully chosen accommodation in this location. Where you stay will vary depending on availability, but will be a similar standard.
The Home Arms is a family-run B&B located at the heart the seaside resort and picturesque fishing port of Eyemouth. A historic listed building, the large house has run as a hotel & guest house since the late 1880s. While still retaining its charm and character, the whole house has been modernised and there is plenty of room to relax in comfort. Rooms have Tea & Coffee making facilities, TV/DVD/ Radio and FREE Wireless Internet.
Leave this lovely fishing harbour behind and reach the coastline where there are plenty of short ups and downs as you walk into coves and along clifftops. In a short while, you come to the village of Burnmouth, where there is a small harbour and where the local name for crab is partan, a gaelic word. Then cross the border into England and reach Marshall Meadows, the most northern point in England!
From here it's only a short distance to Berwick-upon-Tweed. Pass the Needles Eye, an impressive natural archway. At Magdalene Fields Golf Course see your first glimpse of the impressive Berwick town walls.
Since 1482 Berwick-upon-Tweed has changed hands between the Scots and the English fourteen times. Explore the ramparts and see the barracks that were designed by Nicholas Hawksmoor who is generally famous for his London churches. Also view Old Berwick Bridge built in 1611, The Royal Tweed Bridge, built in 1925 and the Robert Stephenson's Royal Border Bridge over which carries the main East Coast Railway Line. There is plenty to explore here and if you have the time we recommend an extra night.
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Overnight Berwick-upon-Tweed
Accommodations
A sample of our typical carefully chosen accommodation in this location. Where you stay will vary depending on availability, but will be a similar standard.
A quality Bed & Breakfast with 4 ensuite rooms and set in the heart of Berwick-upon-Tweed, just minutes from the railway station. With a tasty breakfast and a very warm welcome from the owners, you are sure to enjoy your stay here.
You are assured a very warm welcome from Liz and Graham at the Tweed View House. The rooms have free WiFi, flat screen televisions, a fridge, tea/coffee making facilities, fresh milk, bathrobes, hairdryer, toiletries, information pack & much more.
Parade School Guest House offers a relaxed and friendly environment in the historic walled town of Berwick upon Tweed, in the heart of Northumberland. The house has been refurbished to a high standard and offers luxury guest house accommodation. All of the rooms have wall hung 32" flat screen televisions, with free view digital television channels and numerous radio stations for your entertainment, as well as complimentary secure Wi-Fi internet access.
Finish your memory-provoking walking tour today. Berwick-upon-Tweed is on the main East Coast Railway Line and so is easily accessible by train to Edinburgh and to London with a change or two.
If you would like to spend longer in Northumberland, why not try our Best of the St Cuthbert's Way tour which starts in Berwick-upon-Tweed!!