Hew's Guide to North Berwick for Families
I grew up in North Berwick, and I have spent the better part of my life watching families discover what I have always known: North Berwick is one of the best places in Scotland to entertain children. I have occupied my own children here, and now my grandchildren.
The beaches are among the finest in Scotland, the town is full of life, and within a short drive you have castles, wildlife, adventure parks, golf, and one of the great natural spectacles of the British Isles - 150,000 gannets on the Bass Rock.
What follows is my guide to the best of activities in the county. I have organised it loosely starting with traditional children’s holiday activities which cost little or nothing and end up with more exotic pursuits which have to be paid for. Dip in as suits you.
Hew Dalrymple, North Berwick
Seacliff Beach - The Small Harbour
East Lothian’s finest hidden gem · 10 minutes from North Berwick
Seacliff is where I would start with any family. It is a genuinely secret place — reached via a narrow private road through the estate woods, past a coin-operated barrier, and down a steep track to one of the most beautiful small beaches in Scotland. The views alone are worth the trip: the Bass Rock rises directly offshore and Tantallon Castle’s great curtain wall looms over the cliffs to the north.
At the west end of the beach, at low tide, you can reach the smallest harbour in Scotland — carved from sandstone in 1890 by the then laird using a steam engine and compressed air, barely wide enough for three small boats. Children find it utterly irresistible. The rock pools at both ends of the beach are among the best in East Lothian. Arrive early in summer — the car park is small and fills quickly.
Hew’s tip
Walk to the west end of the beach at low tide and find the little harbour. From there, look back east along the bay with Tantallon above and the Bass Rock offshore — it is one of the finest views in East Lothian. Give yourself at least two hours and bring a picnic.
More information: visiteastlothian.org/seacliff
East Bay - North Berwick Harbour & Paddling Pool
The beating heart of North Berwick · In town
East Bay is North Berwick’s main beach, and the one the whole town faces. For families with young children the paddling pool at the east end of the beach has been a fixture for generations — safe, shallow, and reliably popular on any warm day. From there it is a five-minute walk round the harbour, where fishing boats still come and go and the quay is a fine spot for crabbing.
The Scottish Seabird Centre sits on the headland above the harbour and is one of the best wildlife attractions in Scotland — interactive cameras trained on the gannets, puffins and other seabirds of the Firth of Forth, and boat trips to the Bass Rock when the weather allows. Allow at least two hours inside, more if you book a boat trip.
Afterwards, the choice is a pleasant problem to have. The Rocketeer and North Berwick Fry are both excellent for fish and chips. For ice cream, the Luca van beside the Seabird Centre has been feeding families here for decades, and Alanda’s Gelateria in the town makes exceptional Italian-style ice cream. It is the sort of afternoon that becomes a family tradition.
Hew’s tip
Book a Bass Rock boat trip through the Scottish Seabird Centre if the weather is settled. The gannet colony — over 150,000 birds — is one of the great natural wonders of Scotland, and seeing it from the water is an experience children and adults remember for years.
More information: Scottish Seabird Centre
North Berwick High Street
Shops, tablet, and everything in between · In town
North Berwick has one of the most characterful high streets of any small Scottish town, and it repays a proper explore rather than a quick walk through. Independent shops outnumber chains, and there is a particular pleasure in taking an hour to wander the length of it with children who are allowed to look at whatever catches their eye.
The unmissable stop is the Sugar Mountain, a sweet shop of the old-fashioned kind — shelves of jars, proper pick-and-mix, and tablet made the traditional way. If you are buying one thing in North Berwick to take home, let it be tablet from the Sugar Mountain. The town also has good bookshops, toy shops, and delis, and several excellent cafes for when the feet need a rest.
Hew’s tip
Give the children a small budget for the Sugar Mountain and let them choose for themselves. It takes as long as it takes, and the memory lasts considerably longer than the tablet. Which is saying something, because the tablet is very good.
Play Parks — Lodge Grounds & the Playing Fields
For the youngest members of the party · In town
North Berwick has two excellent play parks that are worth knowing about when you have young children who need to run. The play park in the Lodge Grounds, in the public gardens near the town centre, is well equipped and in a beautiful setting with mature trees and space for picnics. The second is on the playing fields opposite Aldi, which has a larger, newer play area and plenty of open space for children who need more room.
Both are free, both are well maintained, and both have saved the day on many a family visit when the weather turned or the tide was wrong for the beach.
Hew’s tip
The Lodge Grounds park is the more scenic of the two and good for combining with a walk along the West Bay or through the town. The playing fields park is larger and better for older children who want more physical challenge.
Softplay at Whitekirk & East Links Family Park
When the weather intervenes · 10–15 minutes from North Berwick
Two things that every family with young children should know about: Whitekirk Hill has a softplay facility nearby that is a reliable refuge when the East Lothian weather declines to cooperate. It has saved more than one holiday afternoon when the rain set in and the beach became impractical.
East Links Family Park, just east of North Berwick on the road towards Dunbar, is a proper family attraction — animals, rides, play areas, and activities suited to children from toddlers upwards. It requires most of a day to do properly and is the kind of place children ask to come back to. Worth booking ahead in the summer holidays.
Hew’s tip
East Links works well as a full-day plan when you want to give the adults a rest from active supervision. The younger children can run freely and the older ones find enough to keep them interested. Allow the whole day and pack lunch.
More information: East Links Family Park
Tantallon Castle & the Bass Rock Boat Trip
For older children — history, wildlife and extraordinary views · 10 minutes from North Berwick
Tantallon Castle is one of the most dramatically positioned castles in Scotland — a great curtain wall of pink sandstone standing on a clifftop above the Firth of Forth, with the Bass Rock sitting directly offshore. It was the stronghold of the Red Douglases, besieged repeatedly and finally reduced to ruin in 1651 by General Monck’s artillery. Children old enough to climb and explore find it magnificent.
The views of the Bass Rock from the castle walls are among the best you can get without going out on a boat — and on a clear day you can see the gannets wheeling above the rock from the battlements. For those who want to get closer take the boat trip from North Berwick Harbour: circling the rock with 150,000 gannets overhead is an experience quite unlike anything else on this list.
Hew’s tip
Combine Tantallon with a walk towards Seacliff for the finest coastal views in East Lothian. Pack binoculars — the Bass Rock gannets are visible from the path on a clear day, and the views back over the bay with Tantallon behind you are exceptional.
More information: Tantallon Castle (Historic Environment Scotland) Scottish Seabird Centre (boat trips)
Climbing North Berwick Law
The best view in East Lothian · 10 minutes from North Berwick
North Berwick Law is the volcanic plug that rises sharply above the town — 187 metres rewards the climb with one of the finest panoramas in the Lothians. On a clear day you can see Edinburgh Castle to the west, the Fife coast across the Forth, and the full sweep of the East Lothian coast stretching east towards Dunbar.
The path up is steep in places but entirely manageable for children of eight or nine upwards, and younger ones can often be coaxed to the top with the promise of a reward at the bottom. There is a whale’s jawbone at the summit — a replica of the original that stood there for centuries — which children invariably want to have their photograph taken beside. Allow an hour for the round trip at a comfortable pace.
Hew’s tip
Go on a clear day and take your time at the top. The view of North Berwick spread out below with the Bass Rock offshore and Edinburgh on the horizon on a fine morning are wonderful.
Children’s Golf, Foxlake Adventures & the Museum of Flight
Activities for every age and energy level · 10–30 minutes from North Berwick
North Berwick has a children’s golf course that is exactly what it sounds like — a proper short course designed for younger players. For a town that takes golf seriously, it is a genuinely welcoming introduction, and children who enjoy it will want to come back with a proper set of clubs.
Foxlake Adventures at Dunbar is a wakeboarding and outdoor adventure centre that is ideal for older children and teenagers who want something more physically demanding. It can be booked in advance and is well run. The Museum of Flight at East Fortune, a short drive south, is one of the best aviation museums in the country — Concorde, wartime aircraft, space exploration, and interactive exhibits that hold children’s attention well. Allow at least half a day.
Hew’s tip
Foxlake works best for confident swimmers aged ten and above who want a challenge. The Museum of Flight suits a wider age range and is particularly good on a day when the weather is poor. It is regularly underestimated by families who think it will take an hour — allow three at least.
More information: Foxlake Adventures Museum of Flight
A Day Trip to Edinburgh by Train
The city on the doorstep · 30 minutes from North Berwick
One of the great pleasures of staying in North Berwick is the simplicity of getting to Edinburgh. The train from North Berwick station runs direct to Waverley in under thirty minutes - no driving, no parking, no stress. For families who want a day in the capital, it could hardly be easier.
Edinburgh Castle is the obvious starting point, the views from the esplanade alone justify the visit, and the castle itself has enough to occupy children for the better part of a morning. The Edinburgh Dungeon is reliably popular with older children who enjoy theatrical scares and slightly gruesome Scottish history. The Royal Mile between the castle and Holyrood is a fine walk with good food and shops, and the National Museum of Scotland on Chambers Street is excellent and entirely free.
The train back gives you a natural end to the day without the difficulty of deciding when to leave. Buy the return ticket before you go and let the timetable do the work.
Hew’s tip
Travel light and let the children lead some of the day. Edinburgh Castle, a walk down the Royal Mile, lunch somewhere on the Grassmarket or Victoria Street, the Dungeon if the children are old enough, and the train home. It is one of the best family days out in Scotland, and you are thirty minutes from the door.
More information: Edinburgh Castle Edinburgh Dungeon National Museum of Scotland
A few practical notes
Getting around
North Berwick itself is entirely walkable, and most of the beaches and town attractions need nothing more than your feet. A car is useful for Seacliff, Tantallon, East Links, and the Museum of Flight. The train is the best way to Edinburgh - the station is in the centre of town and the journey is straightforward.
Tides
Seacliff’s harbour and the best rock pools are only accessible at low tide. Check tide times before planning a visit - the BBC or local tide apps are reliable. The East Lothian coast at low tide is a different and better place than at high tide.
Booking ahead
East Links Family Park, the Bass Rock boat trips and Foxlake Adventures benefit from advance booking in summer. The Scottish Seabird Centre is the place to book boat trips — spaces are limited and they go quickly in good weather.
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Photo Copyright: Visit East Lothian
Photo Credit: Emma Martin Photography