This underrated seaside town has ‘so much to offer’ and one of the UK’s loveliest high streets

This once-popular vacation edifice has 1 of the nicest precocious streets successful the UK – but chances are, you’ve ne'er heard of it.

Just a half-hour bid thrust from Edinburgh Waverley lies the picturesque seaside municipality of North Berwick.

Home to a fig of top-rated play courses that agelong immoderate 30 miles on the East Lothian coastline, this small Scottish gem is besides wherever immoderate of the oldest practice and earthy sites successful the UK are located, including Tantallon Castle and Bass Rock.

But if onshore formations, aged buildings and fairways aren’t your thing, there’s a batch much to this quaint seaside colony to gully successful visitors – astir notably its gorgeous precocious street, afloat of autarkic shops and restaurants.

It’s adjacent been dubbed one of the loveliest precocious streets successful the UK and ranks among the best precocious streets successful Britain – and we’d person to agree.

But don’t conscionable instrumentality our connection for it. Visitors to the municipality were arsenic charmed.

‘North Berwick has truthful overmuch to offer,’ wrote TripAdvisor reviewer, Ann. ‘Something for everyone with its beaches, beauteous precocious thoroughfare with shops and eateries and the beauteous harbour which you could walk immoderate clip radical watching and enjoying looking astatine each the boats.’

Other visitors agreed with reviewer Jo adding: ‘Fab little town, plentifulness of shops and eateries, fabulous bays and the harbour is wonderful.’

Meanwhile connected Reddit, posters telephone it a ‘beautiful wee place’ and ‘gorgeous’.

Exploring North Berwick’s precocious street

First there’s the Bostock Bakery, headed up by award-winning pastry cook Ross Baxter, and Lindsay Lees Baxter. As good arsenic the accustomed suspects (croissants, symptom au chocolat and sourdough loaves), it is advisable that you plaything by for a freshly-baked jam doughnut – generously coated with sweetener and filled with homemade raspberry preserve. You’ll person to beryllium speedy though, arsenic these saccharine treats are often swiped up aboriginal connected successful the day.

Once you’ve purchased your greeting pastry and baked goods, caput implicit to Norden, Time & Tide oregon the Westgate Coastal Gallery to peruse the knick-knacks, artwork and handcrafted jewellery.

For eats, you’re truly spoilt for choice. The Herringbone offers a classy yet pared-back fare, serving up elemental dishes made with the freshest, locally-sourced seafood and fish. They besides bash a mean espresso martini, which makes for the cleanable nightcap.

Another highly-rated edifice is Osteria, a family-run Italian with conscionable 3 starters, 3 mains and 3 desserts to take from – a imagination for those who conflict erstwhile presented with excessively galore options.

And, of course, nary sojourn to the seaside would beryllium implicit without a travel to the section chippy. We’d urge North Berwick Fry oregon TKH Fish Bar – and a steadfast lashing of brownish condiment and a tin of Irn-Bru, of course.

During the summertime, there’s adjacent a Lobster Shack connected the harbour wall, serving caller tacos, chowder, succulent lobster rolls and more, truthful you tin tuck into immoderate delicious nutrient portion you bask the stunning views of West Bay Beach.

Things to bash successful North Berwick

Take a ferry retired to Bass Rock

Approximately 2km offshore from North Berwick, Bass Rock is location to a ample colony of gannets, that Sir David Attenborough once described arsenic 1 of the ‘wildlife wonders of the world.’

Taking disconnected from the Scottish Seabird Centre, determination are regular vessel trips retired to the onshore formation, costing £34 per big and £24 per kid (aged 7+). Taking a full of 1 hr and 15 minutes, visitors volition not lone get to spot (and smell) the birds up close, they volition larn each astir the past of Bass Rock (which is acold much absorbing than it sounds).

Eat tons of seafood

As outlined above, there’s a plethora of seafood to effort successful North Berwick. Whether you privation to tuck into immoderate caller lobster oregon illustration immoderate seared scallops; you cannot permission the country without trying astatine slightest immoderate of what’s connected connection (unless you’re vegan oregon veggie, of course).

Climb the North Berwick Law

Protruding 613ft supra oversea level, the vantage constituent from the apical of the Law offers panoramic views of the municipality and the Firth of Forth.

Although a challenging hike successful parts (and not advisable connected windy days), the Law is decidedly worthy the climb.

Enjoy a java

If the oversea breeze and tackling the Law tires you out, you whitethorn privation to halt disconnected astatine the adjacent Steampunk Coffee for a speedy pick-me-up. Opening its doorway successful 2012, the roasters not lone service assorted brews to customers, they enactment connected events and unrecorded music.

Enjoy a circular of golf

As is the lawsuit with astir play courses, a batch of North Berwick clubs are members-only. However, determination are definite dates astatine definite clubs wherever visitors are welcomed to play a circular – and we tin archer you from acquisition that thing beats doing 18 holes, successful the birthplace of the sport, alongside the breathtaking Scottish coastline.

Clear the cobwebs connected a stomp on the beach

Naturally, arsenic a seaside town, North Berwick is afloat of fantastic beaches – boasting miles of unspoiled coastline. So if you request to wide the cobwebs and get immoderate caller air, you’ll person plentifulness of options to take from.

How to get to North Berwick

If you are visiting Edinburgh, you tin drawback a bid from Waverley presumption nonstop to North Berwick. The journey, which starts from £4.40 one-way, takes astir 24-35 minutes, with the past bid backmost leaving astatine 11.14pm.

This nonfiction was archetypal published connected June 18, 2024.

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