Dunbar to Barns Ness, East Lothian

A rocky coastal walk, that starts inside a volcano and them traverses an interesting variety of sedimentary layers including the fossil-rich limestone at White Sands.

THE ROCKS: This beautiful stretch of coastal geology with a range of sedimentary rocks laid down in the early Carboniferous period, in interesting, varied conditions from rivers, forests and swamps to warm, shallow sea. At Dunbar, there is some contrasting, older red sandstone, and the impressive remains of an explosive volcanic vent.

THE WALK: A fairly gentle walk along the coast from Dunbar to Barns Ness. We’ll be walking on grassy paths, sandy beaches and occasional stretches of rocky foreshore, which may be slippery. One-way distance is 6 km. I have classified this as a Moderate Walk: not always on paths, may be rough or slippery underfoot at times. It may be wet, windy or cold. Come equipped with strong footwear and waterproof clothing. Route map.

START POINT: Dunbar harbour, beside the lifting bridge, Victoria Place | Nearest postcode EH42 1HW | Grid ref NT 6803 7926 | What3Words: ///starfish.clear.admire

END POINT: At Whitesands beach car park | Nearest postcode EH42 1SL | Grid ref NT 7133 7722 | What3Words: ///locals.hushed.escalates

From the end point, you can walk back along the coast, which will take around 1hr30. If you are coming by car, we can organise a car shuttle: meet at 10:30 at the end point, we can leave some cars here and drive to the start of the walk.