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Milsey Bay at North Berwick, the boating pond in the rocks with the town and the Law behind.
Lothian

Milsey Bay

A sandy family beach beside North Berwick harbour, with a boating pond in the rocks, rock pools and views to the Bass Rock.

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Welcome

Milsey Bay is the beach on the east side of North Berwick harbour, a curve of golden sand with the town at its back and the open Firth of Forth in front.

Out to sea, the white-capped Bass Rock rises from the water, home to the largest colony of northern gannets in the world.

It is a favourite with families. At low tide there are rock pools to explore, and a boating pond built into the rocks keeps its water when the tide goes out, a gentle place for small children to paddle. There is room for picnics and sunbathing, and plenty of birds to watch along the shore.

The Scottish Seabird Centre stands right beside the beach, the harbour is next door, and the cafes and shops of the High Street are a few steps away. The station is about fifteen minutes' walk, which makes this an easy day out from Edinburgh.

Close byNorth Berwick FryA busy fish and chip shop and restaurant on Quality Street in North Berwick, a few steps from the beach, open all day into the evening.1 min by roadSee itSandstone building with North Berwick Fry sign above the doorway
Before you go

Open shore, there at any time.

Where
Beside North Berwick harbour.
For children
A boating pond in the rocks.
Station
15 minutes' walk.
Where it is

On the east side of North Berwick harbour, by the Scottish Seabird Centre; about 15 minutes' walk from the station.

Close byNorth Berwick.
  1. Museum display cases beneath a "North Berwick Flyer" sign and railway exhibit boardsCoastal Communities MuseumA free, volunteer-run museum in North Berwick, telling the story of the town and the coastal villages around it.Under a mile1 min by road
  2. Gelato display case with a "do not touch or lean on glass" signAlandas GelatoAn award-winning gelato shop in North Berwick, a short walk from the beach, making gelato each day with cream and milk from East Lothian.Under a mile1 min by road
  3. Pastel-coloured terraced houses line a sloping street beneath a hillNorth Berwick HarbourThe harbour next door.Under a mile2 min by road
  4. North BerwickNorth BerwickThe seaside town.Under a mile2 min by road
  5. North Berwick LawNorth Berwick LawThe volcanic hill behind the town.1 mile4 min by road
Directions
Sandstone building with North Berwick Fry sign above the doorwayRestaurantsNorth Berwick Fry0.3 miles
Sandstone frontage of The Ship Inn with wooden benches and parasols outsideRestaurantsThe Ship Inn0.3 miles
Green-framed shopfront with large display windows on a pale blue buildingShoppingTime and Tide0.3 miles
Bostock Bakery and Cafe on a North Berwick high street shopfrontCafeBostock Bakery0.4 miles
White-fronted shopfront reading "The Grange", with a blue planter and parked car outsideRestaurantsThe Grange0.4 miles
Sage green shopfront reading "paper flower" at number 37ShoppingPaper Flower0.4 miles
Terrier-shaped "Barker & Bone" sign hanging from a whitewashed shopfrontShoppingBarker and Bone0.4 miles
Customers queue at the counter inside a plant-filled café with exposed brick wallsCafeSteampunk Coffee0.4 miles
White-fronted shop reading "The Grange" with blue planter and parked car outsideShoppingNorth Berwick High Street0.4 miles
Stay nearby

Places to stay near the beach, and when each is next free.

A stone cottage with red pantiled roofs and a gabled dormer sits behind a gravel courtyard, an apple tree in the foreground.Maybell Cottage
  • Sleeps 2
  • In Lothian
  • 11 miles from Milsey Bay
Check datesAn orange leather sofa draped with a sheepskin faces a stone fireplace beneath a timber ceiling, a staircase rising behind.The Old Stable
  • Sleeps 2
  • In Lothian
  • 11 miles from Milsey Bay
Free 18–20 OctThe Crow’s Nest, FifeThe Crow’s Nest
  • Sleeps 5
  • In Lothian
  • 11 miles from Milsey Bay
Free 2–4 NovFifies, FifeFifies
  • Sleeps 2
  • In Lothian
  • 11 miles from Milsey Bay
Free 1–3 NovPlaces to stayEvery stay in LothianAll our places to stay nearby, to search by date and by who is coming.See them all
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