ABERLADY

Moving along the south shore of the Firth of Forth from North Berwick, we pass the village of Dirleton; nearby is the Yellowcraig nature trail which offers views across to Fidra, an island with a puffin colony. A few miles further on, the village of Gullane has no less than five golf courses, one of which, Muirfield, has hosted several Open championships.

Aberlady once served as the seaport for the nearby inland town of Haddington. One reminder of this time is the 17th-century custom house. The parish church has a stone outside known as a “loupin’-on” stone”, which allowed riders to mount their horses more easily. Aberlady Bay is a nature reserve visited by opsreys and Montagu’s harriers among other birds. Between Aberlady and Longniddry is the impressive 19th century Gosford House, completed in 1891, which is used for events and has its own golf course.

Map of the area.

Aberlady Beach 2019 02 (48379348471). Photo by Ian Robertson, via Wikimedia Commons.