St Abb's Head, Berwickshire

Berwickshire Coastal Path

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Overview

Route

What's Included?

Itineraries & Prices

Accommodation

Travel Info

Additional Days

Overview

Walking Holidays

4 - 5 Nights

40.5 miles / 66 km

Prices from: £580 per person
Start: Dunbar, East Lothian
Finish: Berwick-upon-Tweed, Northumberland
Availability: Any start date from March to October
Grading: Easy
Way-marked: Yes

Berwickshire Coastal Path Highlights

Dramatic clifftop scenery

Walk along some of the highest sea cliffs in Britain, including the dramatic rock formation Fancove Head, and enjoy spectacular views out to sea.

St Abb's Head

Home to a thriving national nature reserve, St Abb’s Head boasts a wealth of wildlife and interesting marine life. Thousands of seabirds nest in these high cliffs.

Incredible beaches

Follow the delightful shoreline as it curves around sweeping sandy beaches, including the blue flag beach of Coldingham Sands, a popular spot for surfers.

Attractive fishing villages

Explore the peaceful, picturesque fishing villages of St Abbs and Eyemouth, virtually unchanged for centuries, known as legendary haunts of smugglers.

Coastal birdlife

Watch out for kittiwakes, puffins, oystercatchers, guillemots and curlews who live here in abundance as you make your way around the coastline.

Awe-inspiring views

Enjoy the fresh sea air and epic views of this remote and wild clifftop walk, dotted with historic ruins of the Border conflict with England.

An Exhilarating Walk Along the Berwickshire Coast

The Berwickshire Coastal Path takes you on a tour of one of the most scenic coastlines in Britain. At only 39 miles, this relatively short trail gives you the opportunity to walk along some of the highest sea cliffs in Britain and past many beautiful sandy beaches.

Walk from Scotland to England through an area of historic border conflict, visiting the ruined forts and castles left behind. Today the coastline is punctuated by peaceful, picturesque fishing villages such as St Abbs and Eyemouth, but it was not always so.

This region was the site of much contention between England and Scotland in the Middle Ages, and the largest town in the area, Berwick-upon-Tweed, changed hands more than a dozen times before England captured it for good in 1482. Evidence of this conflict is all along the trail, such as the clifftop ruins of Fast Castle and the impressive town walls at Berwick-upon-Tweed.

The Berwickshire Coastal Path runs through an area famed for its birdlife. Watch out for kittiwakes, puffins, oystercatchers, guillemots and curlews, especially at St Abbs Head National Nature Reserve. The route, including the John Muir Link from Dunbar, offers 39 miles of superb coastal walking.

Berwickshire Coastal Path Route Map

Recommended Itinerary

Our most popular itinerary is BCP2 which covers the route in 4 days / 5 nights.

Travel to Dunbar for your first night’s accommodation

Arrive in Dunbar, a picturesque harbour town and birthplace of the great conservationist and ‘Father of National Parks’ John Muir.

Day 1: Dunbar to Cockburnspath (10.5 miles / 17 km)

Dunbar has plenty of sights of interest, including the 16th century harbour and the ruins of Dunbar Castle where Mary Queen of Scots once sheltered.

From here, the John Muir Link sticks tightly to the coast, passing the sites of two Iron Age forts, a Geological trail at Catcraig, and the impressive lighthouse at Barns Ness. A short diversion inland will take you through the small medieval village of Dunglass, and on to Cockburnspath.

Day 2: Cockburnspath to Dowlaw (7.5 miles / 12 km)

Cockburnspath is the start of the official Berwickshire Coastal Path, which will begin by taking you to Cove Harbour, accessed by an old smugglers tunnel. Soon after you will pass through Pease Bay SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest), a haven for birdlife, and then on to Siccar Point.

The day finishes near the ruins of Fast Castle which occupies a dramatic location on a sheer-sided rock jutting out into the sea.

Day 3: Dowlaw to Eyemouth (10.5 miles / 17 km)

From Dowlaw you will soon reach what is possibly the highlight of the path, St Abb’s Head. This headland offers fantastic coastal views, and as a Nature Reserve it offers haven to many thousands of seabirds.

Soon after the trail comes to the tiny, picturesque fishing village of St Abbs, and then past the blue flag beach of Coldingham Sands, popular with surfers. Today’s walk finishes at the larger harbour village of Eyemouth.

Day 4: Eyemouth to Berwick-upon-Tweed (12 miles / 19 km)

On your final day the trail will take you on more clifftop walking before crossing the modern border into England. Soon after passing the Needle’s Eye, a rock archway on the cliff edge, you will arrive in the historic town of Berwick-upon-Tweed.

The much fought over town still boasts impressive 16th century walls, along with it’s three bridges over the strategic River Tweed. The town has many pubs and restaurants where you can toast your completion of the path.

Onward travel

After breakfast, you will start your journey home after a wonderful walking holiday on the Berwickshire Coastal Path.

What's Included?

Your Berwickshire Coastal Path walking holiday includes:

Carefully selected accommodation along the route and trail transfers when applicable
En-suite or private bathroom facilities whenever possible
Daily door-to-door baggage transfers
Comprehensive information pack, kit list, guidebook and map (one set per room)
Personalised itinerary with details of your accommodation, route and recommendations for lunch and dinner
Traditional Scottish / English breakfast
24-hour emergency contact number
Full Financial protection

Your walking holiday doesn't include:

Travel insurance
Transport to and from the start and end of the walk
Lunches and evening meals

Itineraries & Prices

We offer 2 suggested itineraries for walking the Berwickshire Coastal Path.

Our most popular itinerary is BCP2 which covers the route in 4 days.

Tour code

Itinerary

Average miles

Difficulty

Price per person

BCP1

3 Days / 4 Nights

14 miles per day

Easy

From £580

Average miles : 14 miles per day

Tour code: BCP1

Difficulty : Easy

3 Days / 4 Nights (BCP1)

This itinerary lists our preferred overnight stops for this package. Transfers are included when you are staying away from the trail.

Additional nights can be added at any stage along the walk and we would be delighted to adjust it for you.

All of our prices are per person based on two people sharing a room. Our packages include all accommodation, baggage transfers and full information pack.

Single room & solo walker supplements

Single rooms are available at a supplement which covers the additional costs of a single room or single occupancy of a twin or double room.

As we incur additional costs for transferring a single bag, there is a solo walker supplement in addition to the single supplement.

Arrive Travel to Dunbar for your first night's accommodation

Day 1 Dunbar to Cockburnspath (overnight Dunbar) 10.5 miles / 17 km

Day 2 Cockburnspath to Coldingham (overnight Eyemouth) 15.5 miles / 25 km

Day 3 Coldingham to Berwick-upon-Tweed 16 miles / 26 km

Depart Onward travel from Berwick-upon-Tweed

Prices

Premium

Best available Guest Houses, Inns & Hotels

From £685 per person

Carefully selected guest houses, inns and hotels throughout your walk, which will be the best available in each location. As premium accommodation is in short supply on this trail, please note that some establishments will be of a higher standard than others. En-suite facilities or private bathroom guaranteed.

Enquire Now

Standard

Good quality B&Bs, Guest Houses & Hotels

From £580 per person

Good quality and comfortable B&Bs, guest houses and some hotels located as close to the trail as possible. We will prioritise en-suite facilities or a private bathroom, although in remote areas with limited accommodation this may not always be possible.

Enquire Now

BCP2

4 Days / 5 Nights

10 miles per day

Easy

From £670

Average miles : 10 miles per day

Tour code: BCP2

Difficulty : Easy

4 Days / 5 Nights (BCP2)

This itinerary lists our preferred overnight stops for this package. Transfers are included when you are staying away from the trail.

Additional nights can be added at any stage along the walk and we would be delighted to adjust it for you.

All of our prices are per person based on two people sharing a room. Our packages include all accommodation, baggage transfers and full information pack.

Single room & solo walker supplements

Single rooms are available at a supplement which covers the additional costs of a single room or single occupancy of a twin or double room.

As we incur additional costs for transferring a single bag, there is a solo walker supplement in addition to the single supplement.

Arrive Travel to Dunbar for your first night's accommodation

Day 1 Dunbar to Cockburnspath (overnight Dunbar) 10.5 miles / 17 km

Day 2 Cockburnspath to Dowlaw (overnight Eyemouth) 7.5 miles / 12 km

Day 3 Dowlaw to Eyemouth 10.5 miles / 17 km

Day 4 Eyemouth to Berwick-upon-Tweed 12 miles / 19 km

Depart Onward travel from Berwick-upon-Tweed

Prices

Premium

Best available Guest Houses, Inns & Hotels

From £740 per person

Enquire Now

Standard

Good quality B&Bs, Guest Houses & Hotels

From £670 per person

Enquire Now

Berwickshire Coastal Path Accommodation

All of the accommodation that we reserve for you has been personally selected by our expert team to ensure it meets our exacting standards. We regularly review our extensive database.

We will always prioritise accommodation as close to the walking trail as possible. Occasionally, your accommodation may be located a short distance from the trail, or you may need to spend more than one night in the same place, in which case we will provide return transfers.

Travel Information

As an environmentally conscious tour operator, we actively encourage the use of public transport by providing clients with a detailed breakdown of travel options in their information packs. The following information may help with your pre-trip planning.

Getting to Dunbar

By Air

Nearest major International Airports: Edinburgh Airport and Newcastle Airport.

All airports run regular public transport services to the city centres. An airport shuttle bus and tram runs from Edinburgh Airport to the city centre (journey time 30 min). From Newcastle Airport to Newcastle city centre the metro takes 25 min.

From Edinburgh or Newcastle, you can connect with onward train services to Dunbar.

By Public Transport

Nearest Railway Station: Dunbar Station.

Dunbar is conveniently situated on the East Coast Main Line. Direct rail services run from Edinburgh (journey time 30 min), Newcastle (1 hour 10 min) and London (4 hours 30 min).

As the train services can be very busy, we recommend booking your tickets in advance.

There is also a regular bus service connecting Edinburgh to Dunbar, Cockburnspath, St Abbs, Eyemouth and Berwick-upon-Tweed. The service is run by Borders Buses.

By Car

If you plan to travel by car, it may be possible to park at your accommodation in Dunbar for the duration of your holiday. We can advise you about parking options when you make your enquiry.

Departing from Berwick-upon-Tweed

By Air

Nearest major International Airports: Edinburgh Airport and Newcastle Airport.

Berwick-upon-Tweed is conveniently situated on the East Coast Main Line. Direct rail services frequently run to Edinburgh (journey time 45 min), Newcastle (journey time 45 min) and London (journey time 3 hours 40 min).

All airports run regular public transport services to the city centres.

By Public Transport

Nearest Railway Station: Berwick-upon-Tweed.

Berwick-upon-Tweed is also serviced by National Express coaches and Borders Buses.

By Car

If you plan to travel by car, it may be possible to park in Berwick-upon-Tweed for the duration of your holiday. We can advise you about parking options when you make your enquiry.

Additional Days

We would be delighted to arrange additional accommodation for you along the Berwickshire Coastal Path.

You may wish to plan a rest day or have an additional night at any of the locations along the route which offer activities or sightseeing opportunities – we’ve made some suggestions below. Please request this when you make an enquiry.

Dunbar

Visit John Muir’s Birthplace, an interpretative centre which explores the work and achievements of this remarkable man. Learn more about the life and work of this pioneering conservationist which has inspired people all over the world
Play a round of golf at a classic links golf course
Visit the ruins of Dunbar Castle overlooking Dunbar’s three harbours, still host to a small fishing fleet

St Abbs

Various charter boats are available from the harbour for fishing, birdwatching or geology boat trips
The ocean around St Abbs is famed for its clarity and attracts many divers to the area – you could take advantage of the dive schools operating in the area
Visit the surfing hotspot of Coldingham Sands where a surf school operates from the beachfront

Eyemouth

Enjoy the shops, beach, piers and working harbour of this little village
Visit Eyemouth Museum, which tells the story of the fishing and social heritage of Eyemouth

Berwick-upon-Tweed

Enjoy a day trip to nearby Holy Island (also known as Lindisfarne) – one of England’s most historic sites
A walk around the ramparts offers a succession of fine views out to sea, across the River Tweed and over the red roofs of the town’s elegant Georgian mansions
Explore the history of this lovely town and its various shops and restaurants

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