📌 North Berwick, East Lothian
★★★★
The unmistakable rocky lump of North Berwick Law towers over the seaside resort of North Berwick in East Lothian, surrounded by otherwise flat farmland. The hill’s striking, conical profile along with its accessible location has long made it a popular objective for holidaymakers and locals alike – and at only 187 metres high, a fairly easily achievable one even for little legs. The exposed summit is crowned by a whole array of paraphernalia: a concrete bunker since World War II, a whale’s jawbone since 1709 (now a fibreglass replica after old ones rotted away), and the faint earthworks of a hill fort since the Iron Age. The panorama is a joy to behold, taking in a wide swathe of the Lothians, Fife and the Firth of Forth, with Bass Rock easily identifiable by its white coat of gannet droppings. Returning to the start with an anticlockwise loop around the base of the law gives good glimpses of the summit from all angles.
📷 Chronological photo guide
North Berwick Law from the walk start 
On the direct ascent path 
Looking back 
Exmoor ponies 
Exmoor ponies above North Berwick 
North Berwick seen from the ascent 
Wartime defences 
North Berwick Law summit 
Replica whale jawbone 
Looking east 
Bass Rock 
View inland 
Return around the east side of the hill 
North Berwick Law from the east side 
Marshy ground on the northeast side of the hill 
Final stretch below the northern slopes
🌍 Location
📌 Start / finish off B1347 1 mi south of North Berwick town centre
🧭 O.S. Grid Reference: NT 553843
🛰️ GPS coordinates: 56.049224,-2.719218
🚌 Lochbridge Road | 🚆 North Berwick (1 mi)
🚗 Car park
📝 Key info
▶ 3 km / 2 mi | ▲ 180 m | ⌛ 1.5-2 hr
Features: △ North Berwick Law (187 m, sub-2000′ Marilyn)
⬤ Moderate | Paths throughout, steep in places on North Berwick Law – extremely so if you venture off the zigzagging, main route.
Download file for GPS➡️ Anticlockwise circuit with extension to summit: start – North Berwick Law by southwest slopes – return nearly to base of hill – anticlockwise loop around base of hill – start
🥾 On our last visit
Wildlife: Exmoor ponies on the upper slopes; quite a few dogs.
Weather: Very windy, good sunny periods & squally rain showers.
August 2019
