📌 Nature reserve in St Abbs, Scottish Borders
★★★★
A seabird city amidst stunning scenery, St Abb’s Head makes a wonderful day out for walkers and wildlife lovers. This is perhaps the most jagged, rocky part of lowland Scotland’s eastern coastline, with cliffs in the area approaching 150 metres in height. Stomach churning precipices, narrow ledges and spiky sea stacks are stained white with guano from tens of thousands of noisy, smelly seabirds – guillemots, razorbills, kittiwakes, fulmars, shags, gulls and a handful of puffins – which nest here from April to July. Immediately inland is a colourful area of rolling grassland and a slender loch, with its own catalogue of flora and fauna. The best seabird viewing spots are in the vicinity of the private lighthouse, mostly accessible only by rough paths. All visitors except those with mobility issues are encouraged to walk from the nature centre, over a mile away at Northfield. The direct route follows an inland track, but we strongly suggest making it a circular walk by the addition of the coast path north from St Abbs.
🌍 Location
📌 Lighthouse at the centre of the reserve is 1 mi north of St Abbs village
🧭 O.S. Grid Reference: NT 913693
🛰️ GPS coordinates: 55.916077,-2.140235
🚌 Bus stops near main car park (1.5 mi from lighthouse)
🚗 Main car park (charge) is on the B6348, 🧭 NT 913674 / 🛰️ 55.899572,-2.140526
📝 Key info
⌚ Reserve always open. Visitor centre: daily, April to November
🎫 Free
💬 The visitor centre is next to the main car park. From here it’s a 1.5 mi / 45 min walk (each way) to the headland on a good track (⬤ Easy). Alternatively, walk from St Abbs using the circular walk linked in the introductory paragraph above (more scenic but longer & rougher). Many paths along the clifftops are rough with unguarded drops.
