Holiday in Scotland (East Lothian)

"Edinburgh - the festival is on...". That decided the destination for a mid-August week away. A couple of days later, and a few hours of the usual traffic mess on the M6, put us in the far more interesting scenery of Scotland. A country road detour around Glasgow, through pretty countryside and charming, clearly historic, villages, led us to the outskirts of Edinburgh. At this point (about 6 p.m.) the question was where to stay? A quick consultation of the Camping and Caravanning Club Big Book of Sites, led us through Musselborough to Cockenzie and Seton Sands. Clearly an attractive stop for the family caravanner, this was not a place for our tent. A few (telephone) enquiries, produced the worrying comment that "The festival is on... we're all full... you may have to go all the way to North Berwick!" As if North Berwick was halfway back to London! In fact another 20 miles drive led us to to the seaside town of North Berwick and the comfort of the Tantallon Caravan and Camping Park.

And so we spent an enjoyable and relaxing week's holiday. Sunny mornings and good weather were spent on North Berwick's sandy beach, and exploring the town itself, while less exciting weather provided and excuse to investigate a few of the local attractions, museums, etc.. A week is not enough. Sadly we did not have time to visit any of the old castles in the area - a good excuse to go back. As one might expect, the whole area is steeped in history back to the 13th and 14th centuries, as well as sites suggesting prehistoric residents in the area. Oh - we did get to Edinburgh for a day.

Going home was a matter of "closing the loop". A stop at our favourite bakery in Dunbar to stock up, and a few hours drive down the A1 back to our midlands home. The first part of the drive, along the Scottish Borders coast is very pretty. In fact, by the look of the places and beaches in this area, it could be a good place for a few days off as well.

Looking for a few days off. For a family, or just a couple, the East Lothian area has a lot to offer. Try it, enjoy it, and you can say "Been There!"

Next: Read more - North Berwick

East Lothian - Where is it?

Take a look at the Map. Travelling East from Edinburgh, along the Firth of Forth, North Berwick is around 27 miles (depending on your route). The coastal "trail" takes you through a number of villages, with a selection of old castles, churches and the like. A bit of exploration is worthwhile, and, of course, there is a selection of golf courses for the holiday sports enthusiast. Accommodation appears to be plentiful, although many establishments showed "no vacancy" signs.