📌 Tidal island in Cramond, City of Edinburgh
★★★
If you’re looking for somewhere a bit different to explore in the vicinity of Edinburgh, Cramond Island is worth considering. Out of over a dozen islands located in the Firth of Forth between Lothian and Fife, this is the most accessible, with a concrete causeway connecting its rocky southern headland (“The Knoll”) with the mainland at Cramond village. A visit nevertheless requires a little planning, as the causeway floods twice a day at high tide. People find themselves stranded on the island not infrequently, and the ruined wartime bunkers wouldn’t be the most comfortable place to spend the night. These coastal defences are well worth (carefully) exploring while keeping an eye on the clock and enjoying the excellent views towards the capital, the Forth Bridges and north towards Dalgety Bay and Burntisland. Seabirds congregate around the causeway and coastline, and we even spotted an octopus on our 2020 visit!
🌍 Location
📌 1 mi north on foot from Cramond village
🧭 O.S. Grid Reference: NT 197785
🛰️ GPS coordinates: 55.992555,-3.289972
🚌 Bus to Cramond village (1 mi)
🚗 Cramond village car park at 🧭 NT 191770 / 🛰️ 55.979368,-3.298762
📝 Key info
⌚ Always open – subject to tide times (see below)
🎫 Free
💬 From Cramond village it’s a 20-min walk (each way) to the island on a slippery, tidal, concrete causeway – be aware of safe crossing times. Paths on the island are rough & muddy in places.
