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| Our aim here at the British Coast Guide is to create a portal to the coast, providing visitors with introductions to areas of the coast they will not know about. Using video, both of our own production and those of tourism boards and locals. Around this presentation we would love to promote your business... |
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East Lothian’s coast runs from the remote rocky area at Torness to the outskirts of Edinburgh.
Dunbar Castle overlooks the harbour, and is the remains of what was one of Scotland’s mightiest fortresses, now sadly an unstable ruin. Just inland is the National Museum of Flight at East Fortune, which is the resting place of one of the retired Anglo-French Concordes.
North Berwick, at the mouth of the Firth of Forth, is overlooked by the volcanic mass of North Berwick Law, over 600 feet above the town, which gives panoramic views over the Lothians, the Firth and across to Fife. A mile out to sea is Bass Rock, another volcanic plug, which was once a prison that housed John Blackadder, known as ‘Scotland’s Bastille’. Today it is home to a gannet colony. The town was at one time home to Robert Louis Stevenson, who is said to have based ‘Treasure Island’ on the small isle of Fidra to the east of the town.
The north coast of East Lothian has some good beaches, notably those at Longniddry, Gullane, North Berwick and Belhaven Bay. Dog walking, horse riding, kiting, picnicking, windsurfing and canoeing are variously available. There are dunes at Gullane, nature trails, and the lighthouse station at North Berwick, together with a good number of coastal golf courses.
On the eastern fringes of Edinburgh is Musselburgh at the mouth of the River Esk. Its name derives from the extensive mussel beds on the shores of the Firth of Forth. Musselburgh Golf Club is the oldest surviving golf club in the world, and the racecourse is the oldest in Scotland.
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Dunbar is a peaceful resort town of sandstone buildings and sandy beaches with two harbours. It has a long history and retains some notable historic buildings including the remains of Dunbar Castle and the Town House. |
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North Berwick is a charming town with a small harbour and excellent sandy beaches, with two defining physical landmarks being the 613ft volcanic crag North Berwick Law, which overlooks the town, and the 315ft Bass Rock, offshore in the Firth of Forth. |
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Musselburgh is a good base from which to explore the beautiful coastline of East Lothian. Visitor attractions here include one of the busiest racecourses in Scotland, for both National Hunt and Flat meetings |
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