Dunbar

East Lothian | Town | ★★★

[Dunbar High Street]

Dunbar is an attractive and important settlement on the east coast road and rail routes. Its location halfway between Edinburgh and the English border has made it a target over the centuries for marauding armies, alternating between English and Scottish depending on who held the local castle at the time. The castle's now a stumpy ruin, further demolished by the picturesque harbour complex adjacent to the castle walls. The town has fared better in the long term, with a handsome main street, a couple of museums, interesting local coastline and an overabundance of flowers in the public toilets. Considering it's one of the largest towns for miles around, there's a surprisingly small selection of shops and eateries, though if cafes are your thing then it's your lucky day.

[Victoria Harbour]

Location & info

📌 Dunbar ★★★
East Lothian, G.R.: NT 679791 ///gardens.ocean.licks

🚶 The centre of town is small enough to explore easily; Belhaven Bay is a mile away via the coast path.
🚌 Dunbar has a station on the main East Coast railway line, with trains from Edinburgh and many English towns and cities. There are a few bus routes, including from Edinburgh, North Berwick and Haddington.



See & do (<1 mi away)

>> Dunbar Castle ★

📌 John Muir's Birthplace Museum ★★★
💬 Small but smart museum detailing the life of John Muir, born in the town and the founder of the National Parks movement.
High Street, town centre, G.R.: NT 679790 ///shorter.september.backpack
Open daily, April to September; Wednesday to Sunday, October to March | Free

📌 Town House Museum ★
💬 Historic building containing a very small local history exhibition; council chamber and jail cell to view by guided tour upstairs - unavailable on our visit.
High Street, town centre, G.R.: NT 679789 ///info.dispenser.desks
Open every afternoon, April to September; weekend afternoons, October to March | Free

>> Walk: Dunbar's coastal playground ★★★

Nearby (1-3 mi away)

>> Belhaven Bay ★★★ (1 mi ←)
>> Doon Hill ★ (2 mi ↓)
>> Walk: Brock Wood birdspotting ★★★ (3 mi ↓)

[Town House Museum]

[John Muir's Birthplace Museum]

[Belhaven Bay]

Comments

Post a comment

Popular posts from this blog

Walk: Livingston's jaw-dropping waterfall

Image
West Lothian | Livingston | Short walk | ★★★ ⚠ Route currently impassable - see red text below [Linn Jaw lower falls] What springs to mind when someone mentions Livingston, West Lothian? Sprawling road junctions, retail parks, 1960s architecture... how about a splendid waterfall? Under a mile from the town's southernmost suburbs, the Camilty Water drops into a short but beautiful gorge sharply at odds with the gentleness of the surrounding farmland. Two substantial waterfalls and several smaller ones tumble into the depths; the largest is actually fed by a crumbling mill lade (the mill no longer exists) but this isn't obvious from below. Parking is limited, but the walk from the nearest road begins promisingly. The last few hundred metres of the route are however a bit sketchy: stepping stones across a side burn, and a very slippery slope to reach the best viewpoint - more details below. Important The house and gardens alongside the path are someone’s home, and alth
More

Campsie Glen waterfalls

Image
East Dunbartonshire | Clachan of Campsie | Waterfalls | ★★★★ [Middle of the Campsie Glen upper waterfalls] In bygone years a path used to snake up the narrow gorge north of Clachan of Campsie. Rockfalls and warning signs now block the middle section, but short linear walks into the gorge from each end are still well worth it. A quick stroll from the bottom car park leads to the lower section of rapids. The upper car park on Crow Road is reached by a steep, 300 metre walk or a winding, 3 mile drive. Heading downhill from here (instead of uphill towards Cort-ma Law ) accesses the middle of 3 more waterfalls. All are worth a visit following wet weather if you don't mind a bit of scrambling, but the bottom one of this trio deserves special praise - as you can walk behind it. [Lower of the Campsie Glen upper waterfalls - seen from the cave behind (easily tall enough to stand up in)] Location & info 📌 Campsie Glen Lower Falls ★★ On the Kirk Burn immediately north o
More

Walk: Buzzing off to Beecraigs

Image
West Lothian | Linlithgow | Half day walk | ★★ [Union Canal east of Linlithgow] Tourists mainly visit Linlithgow for its famous palace, and rightly so - but the area is also blessed with some excellent walks which are a little more off the beaten track - certainly for international visitors, at least. This varied circuit links the Royal Burgh with the royal stags of Beecraigs Country Park, found on higher ground south of the town. The Union Canal and Beecraigs Loch both feature and provide good opportunities for watching waterfowl, while the tiny but prominent summit of Cockleroy (see our separate walk) can easily be incorporated into the route for superb views across the Forth valley region. We've listed this walk as a half day route but it could easily fill a whole day if you include the optional extension, linger within the country park or even make a detour to Linlithgow Palace . [Parkley Craigs] 📌 Walk: Buzzing off to Beecraigs ★★ Start / finish on Manse Road (str
More