Walk: Aberlady & Gullane beaches – birdies on the Golf Coast

📌 Aberfeldy, East Lothian
★★★

People living in the villages of Aberlady and Gullane are lucky to have a stunning coastline at their disposal. Beautiful outlooks over the Edinburgh skyline and Fife are the backdrops to broad expanses of golden sand at low tide. This region is often known as Lothian’s golf coast, but you don’t have to play to enjoy the area. Extensive greens are joined by sand dunes, salt marsh, craggy outcrops and rock pools in between the vast expanses of Aberlady and Gullane Bays. Overlooked by a popular coast path, it could make for the ideal geography field trip. Wading birds are also lucky residents, with Aberlady Bay designated Britain’s first local nature reserve in 1952. The John Muir Way long distance footpath provides a return route further inland, with a short detour to have a look at Saltcoats Castle.

📷 Chronological photo guide

🌍 Location

📌 Start / finish at Aberlady Bay, A198 1 mi east of Aberlady. Alternative start point at Gullane

🧭 O.S. Grid Reference: NT 471805

🛰️ GPS coordinates: 56.014316,-2.849681

🚌 Bus to Gullane, at a different point on the route

🚗 Car park

📝 Key info

▶ 10 km / 6 mi | ▲ 60 m | ⌛ 2.5-3 hr

Features: 🏖️ Aberlady Bay; 🏖️ Gullane Bay ★★★; ⛪ Old St Andrew’s Church (Gullane) ★; 🏠 Gullane; 🏰 Saltcoats Castle ★

⬤ Easy | Sandy paths, tracks and tidal beach section (path alternative at high tide) for outward route to Gullane. Further paths and tracks for return, ending with pavement along main road. Detour to Saltcoats Castle can be wet underfoot.

➡️ Clockwise circuit: start – Aberlady Bay – Marl Loch – Gullane Point – Gullane Bay – Old St Andrew’s Church (Gullane) – Gullane – Saltcoats Castle – start via John Muir Way & A198

Download file for GPS

🥾 On our last visit

Wildlife: Thousands of geese flying overhead. Curlews, knots, oystercatchers, terns, shags & other seabirds for coastal part. Roe deer & lots of hairy caterpillars on the dunes. Small fish in rockpools. Ripe blackberries on inland return. Wigeon, teal, mallards & little egrets on other visits.

Weather: 10°C, sunshine.

October 2020