The Edinburgh Marathon finish at Musselburgh puts you already on the East Lothian coast. North Berwick is 12 miles east along the same coastline - a small Victorian seaside town between two bays, with Bass Rock's 150,000 gannets visible from the High Street, Tantallon Castle on the clifftop to the east, and Dirleton's herbaceous borders to the west. Two nights here is the natural post-Edinburgh extension.
Getting There
ScotRail from Musselburgh (marathon finish) to North Berwick: approximately 30-45 minutes with a connection at Drem, or direct on some services. Alternatively, train back to Edinburgh Waverley and a direct North Berwick service (30-45 minutes). The return from North Berwick to Edinburgh or the airport is the same route in reverse.
Night One: Arriving in North Berwick
North Berwick has two beaches - West Bay (the West Links golf course end, with the RNLI lifeboat station) and East Bay (the harbour end, with Bass Rock due east). The town between them is compact and mostly flat at sea level.
After the marathon and the journey east, the first afternoon is for the harbour. The Lobster Shack (quayside tables, no booking) does dressed crab, lobster rolls, and langoustines - the correct decompression lunch. The harbour seals are usually visible on the boat ramp.
Bass Rock is visible from the harbour - the white volcanic plug 2 kilometres offshore whose whiteness is 150,000 northern gannets. The Scottish Seabird Centre (seabird.org) on the harbour runs 90-minute boat trips to Bass Rock; book in advance. The boat circumnavigates the rock; in May the colony is in full breeding activity.
North Berwick Law (187 metres, the volcanic cone above the town) can be seen from everywhere. The summit path takes 30-40 minutes each way - for Day Two, not post-marathon Day One.
Day Two: Tantallon and Dirleton
Tantallon Castle (Historic Environment Scotland, entry approximately £9.50) is 3 miles east of North Berwick by the 120 bus or a taxi. A 14th-century curtain-wall castle built on the clifftop by the Black Douglas family, with Bass Rock directly in view across the water. The main curtain wall, 14 metres high and 3.4 metres thick, is the best surviving example of 14th-century defensive architecture in Scotland. The clifftop position is dramatic; the sea below the walls is 50 metres down.
Dirleton Castle (Historic Environment Scotland, entry approximately £9.50) is 3 miles west of North Berwick on the same 120 bus route. The castle dates from 1240; the grounds contain what the Guinness World Records identified as the longest herbaceous borders in the world - 218 metres of double borders along the castle wall, at peak colour in late May and June. The walled garden and bowling green are flat and good for post-marathon wandering.
Between Tantallon and Dirleton: Yellowcraig Beach (nature reserve, parking and bus access), one of the quieter beaches on the East Lothian coast with views of Fidra island (the lighthouse island that partly inspired Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island).
Where to Stay
The Belhaven on Westgate: boutique hotel in the town centre, recently renovated. Marine North Berwick on Cromwell Road: the grand old golf hotel above the West Bay, with views over the links. Nether Abbey Hotel on Dirleton Avenue: good mid-range option, walking distance to the town centre.
Where to Eat
Lobster Shack on the harbour: the unmissable lunch option. The Glengarry on High Street: the gastropub standard for dinner. Osteria on Quality Street: the better pasta option.
Practical Notes
- North Berwick is 25 miles east of Edinburgh city centre.
- Bus 124 from Edinburgh to North Berwick takes about 60-70 minutes; the ScotRail branch line is faster.
- Exit options: Edinburgh Waverley (ScotRail direct, 30-45 min) or Edinburgh Airport (ScotRail to Waverley then tram, approximately 90 min total). No direct airport connection from North Berwick.