Northumberland Coast Path to Lindisfarne

Wednesday 3rd September 2025

A year ago I bought a Mac in a Sac poncho and throughout the Cambrian Way in May and until the end of my walk the day before this one it had proved very useful, especially during short showers where I could quickly put it on without taking off my rucksack. It wasn't perfect though, mainly in windy conditions when it was very difficult for me to put on, which I found very frustrating, and then it just flapped excessively in the wind. Despite this I loved that mac so I was upset when I couldn’t find it at the start of this day. The day before I had used it briefly, near the end of the walk, and when the rain stopped I had hung it onto the back of my rucksack, but now there was no sign of it. I can only think that it had fallen off having not been properly secured, which was distressing for me. Inevitably, it was raining this day, so just when I really needed it I no longer had the poncho. I just hope that someone found it and they needed it more than me. I tried retracing my steps to the point where I remember having the poncho but it was hopeless. Soon I got very hot in my waterproofs, which the poncho would have prevented, and this is a common problem in the warm, humid conditions that often occur in Britain. After wandering around Berwick-upon-Tweed wondering whether I could find something to replace my lost poncho I disconsolately gave up and set off along the Northumberland Coast Path, crossing the River Tweed on the historic Berwick Bridge and soon I reached the magnificent sight of Spittall Beach.

After walking along the promenade at Spittall I climbed up towards the railway line that is part of the East Coast Main Line and I had walked beside on the previous day into Berwick-upon-Tweed. I now followed it again on a track with the sea to my left all the way to a car park at Cocklawburn Dunes. From there I walked along a quiet road with views across the extensive sands and as the rain eased my route became a path through the dunes. I appreciated being able to put my hood down as this made me feel less claustrophobic, isolated from the environment and free to take in my surroundings. The walking was very easy on flat ground, but there was nothing interesting to look at and especially when the path plunged deep into the featureless dunes with the sea hidden beyond the undulating grassy mounds. As the rain started up again I eventually had a change of scenery with a line of concrete blocks dating from the Second World War, but even this didn’t last long with the dreary landscape not improving.

Eventually I crossed the South Low river where an alternative route follows a cycle path while I stayed on the official route along a faint, wet path beside the river to another line of concrete blocks that brought me to the road at the start of the Lindisfarne Causeway. A line of cars was waiting for the tide to fall sufficiently so they could cross over to Holy Island with the official safe crossing time just ten minutes away but as I looked on some cars started to risk the crossing while I pondered whether to walk across myself. I was unsure. Lindisfarne has been a place of pilgrimage for over a thousand years but I didn’t really care. The Northumberland Coast Path doesn’t cross the causeway and while there are the ruins of an abbey and a castle on the island they would probably not be very appealing in this weather. Eventually I turned my back on the cars streaming across the causeway and followed the Northumberland Coast Path, which soon turned inland to avoid crossing Lindisfarne National Nature Reserve, and brought me to the railway line. 

To cross this I needed to phone the signal box to get permission, to make sure a train was not coming, and this terrified me, either because I had to talk to the signal box or just because I was crossing the railway line. I think it was the latter because the trains were passing at more than a hundred miles an hour. Despite my trepidation I safely made it across and five minutes later two trains passed each other at the level crossing. Moving further away from the coast, I passed over a hill, across Fenham Burn and to the A1 main road, which was much more easily crossed than the railway line. Soon I entered the village of Fenwick and there the coastal path turns left but I ignored the turning and eventually returned to the A1 where I found my accommodation. This was a disappointing walk, mainly because of the weather, though losing my poncho was not a good way to start the day. Fortunately the rain was mostly light and I wasn’t too severely affected by the loss. However, even when I had a view of the coast it wasn’t the dramatic sea cliffs that I had enjoyed on the Berwickshire Coastal Path and instead all I saw was sandy beaches, which don’t look good in this weather. 

Berwickshire Coastal Path

Tuesday 2nd September 2025

While waiting for the bus in Berwick-upon-Tweed to take me back to the village of St. Abbs, so I could resume my walk along the Berwickshire Coastal Path, I had a wander around the town walls while enjoying the gorgeous, warm sunshine. The weather was still fantastic when the bus eventually deposited me in St. Abbs with the strong winds of the day before now much lighter. On that day I had started the Berwickshire Coastal Path from the village of Cockburnspath covering about half the total distance to reach St Abbs, which left me with the rest of the trail to do this day, while taking my time to relax and enjoy the walk. After dropping down to the pretty little harbour I made my way back up the hill, but soon I was feeling very tired and weak, possibly due to a poor night’s sleep. It wasn’t long before the trail took me down to the sands of Coldingham Bay and eventually I just had to stop, sit on a rock beside the beach and have a rest while trying to summon up some energy from somewhere. When I felt refreshed I set off again to climb steeply off the beach through a cleft in the rocks to reach the top of the cliffs and head towards the village of Eyemouth. My route was diverted around a caravan park before finally I descended to the beach where I took advantage of the many facilities in Eyemouth including getting something for my lunch and topping up my water. 

After eating some of my lunch, and having another rest, I set off again to walk around the harbour at the mouth of the Eye Water before following a road for a tedious few moments until I could take a footpath that led me back onto the coast. With stunning sea cliffs to my left and the ubiquitous golf course to my right I enjoyed the fabulous weather and the easy walking along an undulating path that always offered me with amazing views along the coast. Eyemouth Golf Club was soon left behind and a steady climb brought me to the top of Blaikie Heugh with the cliff top walking continuing until I turned inland to reach Burnmouth where a lovely, overgrown path brought me down to the harbour and an even better, overgrown path took me steeply back up, away from the sea to reach the railway line, the East Coast Main Line, which I have travelled along many times. Flat, easy walking led me to what I consider to be the most scenic section of the whole line and I was thrilled to be now walking beside it. The line at that point runs along the edge of the cliffs with stunning views out to sea across craggy headlands. I loved every moment when a train came zooming through at high speed and took loads of pictures, though the sun and the trains never appeared together, which frustrated my artistic eye. 

A low, craggy ridge of red sandstone runs between the railway line and the sea affording the passenger with fleeting glimpses out to sea, which just makes the whole scene even more enticing. Eventually the dark clouds that had been spoiling my pictures started to drop rain, though it was never heavy, and I finally came to the English border. I was now leaving Scotland behind including all the stunning scenery that is inherent in that beautiful country, however the stunning coastline continued and even though the Berwickshire Coastal Path technically ends at the border, in practice it keeps going into Berwick-upon-Tweed. Tall cliffs provided me with fabulous views up the coast when I was not negotiating a caravan park at Marshall Meadows or another golf course, which shows that the Scottish obsession with golf is not unique. Fortunately no one was playing there so I was able to safely walk past until I reached another caravan park with the stunning coastline ignoring such trivial man-made intrusions and continued to provide me with amazing views around Sharpers’ Head. As the weather worsened again, the golf course reappeared on the other side of the caravan park to get in my way before I finally descended onto a road and turned right past the mouth of the Tweed and into Berwick-upon-Tweed.

I enjoyed walking along the Berwickshire Coastal Path, though my walk this day was marred by my lack of sleep. I was never in a hurry so I was able to stop frequently to take a rest and walk slowly, keeping at the pace that I was able to maintain. The coastline was stunning and occasionally there were some truly wild stretches of path, which I enjoyed, as well as seeing the trains on the railway line while walking beside the best section of the whole East Coast Main Line. Even though I was now in England that didn’t mean the coastal walking had stopped because I was now in Northumberland which also has a famous coastal path and I was looking forward to starting that next.

John Muir Link and the Berwickshire Coastal Path

Monday 1st September 2025

Two day before this walk I finished the one hundred thirty-four mile trail that runs across Scotland from Helensburgh, on the mouth of the Clyde, to Dunbar, the birthplace of John Muir, the father of the conservation movement. However, previously the John Muir Way was a much shorter trail solely within the county of East Lothian and while most of this older route is within the much longer, newer trail, there is a section of the old route that is not and extends the trail to the Scottish Borders at Cockburnspath. These ten miles are now known as the John Muir Link, with the word “Link” often pasted over the word “Way” on the signposts, and it provides an important connection with two Scottish “Great Trails” that start or end at Cockburnspath. I had originally planned on doing the John Muir Link on the day after I finished the John Muir Way but with no buses running on a Sunday to bring me back to Dunbar I was forced to take a day off, which I greatly appreciated as the John Muir Way had left me exhausted and with very large blisters. However, this left me with a very long day to do both the previous day’s walk and the one originally planned for this day, so I got up extra early and set off from Dunbar, soon walking beside the coast, though with the inevitable golf course inland. Fortunately, since I was so early, the only person on the course was the grounds keeper and no one was playing their nonsensical game. 

It is usual to do a long distance trail in Britain heading north and/or east so the prevailing winds and the sun are behind you, but on this second week of my holiday I was heading south, so I had the sun ahead of me into a brisk wind. Since this was a long walk I tried to maintain a brisk pace, particularly at first to get past the golf course, while behind me I had good views towards Dunbar, while ahead of me the views were less appealing with the tall chimney of a cement works dominating the skyline and the vast buildings of Torness Nuclear Power Station in the distance. Eventually I passed Barns Ness Lighthouse and along the concrete breakwater that surrounds the power station, all while enjoying extensive views out to sea and along the coast. After negotiating a caravan park I enjoyed a walk along the beach and atop a grass bank which afforded me with better views up and down the coast. There was an interesting crossing of the mouth of Bilsdean Burn, though there was hardly any water coming over the falls, and not long after that I finally came off the beach to pass under the Great Old North Road Bridge that spans the deep valley of Dunglass Dean. Several more bridges followed, one of which I crossed taking me into the Scottish Borders, so this was the actual point where the original John Muir Way ended, but a steady climb brought me out of the wooded valley and into the village of Cockburnspath where the John Muir Link now ends. 

Knowing I had a long walk ahead of me, I had considered missing out the diversion inland to Cockburnspath, but I appreciated the views from higher up and it was great for me to be back in the centre of the village where I had ended the Southern Upland Way two years earlier. The Berwickshire Coastal Path also begins at that point, so, after having something to eat I set off along the trail, initially retracing my steps along the Southern Upland Way. I enjoyed remembering that trail as I passed under the A1 bypass and the railway line to reach the coast at Cove Harbour and walk above awesome cliffs with stunning views back to the power station. The poor weather that was passing overhead when I reached Cockburnspath had soon gone to reveal lovely sunshine, though this also did not last long as dark clouds began to cover the sky again. When I reached Pease Burn I said goodbye to the Southern Upland Way and climbed the hillside to Greenheugh Point with views back over the bay spoilt by a cramped-looking caravan park. Soon, I turned inland to reach a track that led me towards a large industrial complex, but fortunately I turned off the track before I reached the buildings to continue climbing up to a road. A prolonged spell of walking along the road brought me to Redheugh Farm and beyond there I was climbing again, further away from the sea. I was becoming frustrated that this coastal path was nowhere near the coast!

The benefit of climbing so high was that I now had stunning views back north, up the coast with the nuclear power station and the cement works far in the distance. Later, the trail took to a narrow path through heather and bracken above a steep slope falling precipitously all the down to the sea while poor weather, including rain, passed overhead. By the time the rain had stopped I was passing Dowlaw and descended grassy fields, across Dowlaw Burn and finally returned to the coast above Rough Heugh. I now had impressive views ahead of me along the coast towards St Abb’s Head, but undulating terrain meant that it was not going to be easy for me to get there. A steep descent brought me down to Westerside Dean and an even steeper ascent brought me back up the hill to Tun Law where a dramatic walk followed above sea cliffs with the promontory before me. Finally a steady descent brought me to a road and this took me up onto St Abb’s Head and the lighthouse. I wasn’t particularly excited by the nature reserve, perhaps because of the strong winds, which had been present all day, and because of the overcast skies. The top of the promontory was covered in grass, so there was no interest there, and the sea cliffs were difficult for me to see and nothing I hadn’t seen all day. 

A grassy path led me back down the hill beside the crags and continued with a short section of spectacular coastal scenery that had me rethinking my opinion of St Abb’s Head, which could simply have been due to my fatigue after a long walk. Soon I reached the village of St Abbs where I waited for a bus to take me to my accommodation in Berwick-upon-Tweed. This was an epic walk of twenty-five miles that was curiously satisfying and exhilarating. The coastline was always spectacular but the weather was not as it was frequently changeable, which didn’t help with the views. The main problem I had with the weather was the strong winds, which I really don’t like walking in, so the best bits on this walk were when I was sheltered from the wind.

John Muir Way: North Berwick to Dunbar

Saturday 30th August 2025

The Saturday before this walk I had started the John Muir Way, a one hundred thirty-four miles long distance trail that traverses Scotland, coast to coast, starting from Helensburgh on the Clyde estuary. Now, I was at the start of the final stage of the John Muir Way, which would lead me to the birthplace of John Muir, father of the environmental movement, in Dunbar. I was in North Berwick on the southern shore of the mouth of the Firth of Forth and at the start of the day I paused above the golden sands of West Bay Beach to take in the view that included the islands of Craigleith and Lamb under clear blue skies that unfortunately would not last. I reflected that I must have been pushing myself to complete the whole trail in eight days. Generally, it is usual to do a hundred miles a week on a trail, but I had taken the flat terrain as an opportunity to do the whole route in less than the recommended eleven days, though it hadn’t been without problems, most notably the blisters I had acquired while traversing Edinburgh, which is unusual for me, but possibly a reflection of the large amount of tarmac walking. Turning my back on the view out to sea I headed through the gardens of North Berwick Lodge towards the notable hill of North Berwick Law, which had been dominating the view for many miles. The John Muir Way skirts the western slopes, but with a relatively short day and good weather I felt I had to take the opportunity to climb it, so after hiding my rucksack in the undergrowth I skipped along the rocky path which snakes up the steep hillside and soon afforded me with views over the Firth of Forth.

A brisk wind was blowing at the top, but I loved the steep climb which I had missed on the John Muir Way and was my main attraction of visiting the hill since the views were spoilt by the houses of North Berwick while clouds also deprived me of sunshine at that point. After the satisfying ascent I came back down and retrieved my rucksack before heading south following the edge of fields for a long tedious walk with few highlights. I had an interesting walk through a patch of woodland near Balgone House, which continued through Craigmoor Wood where the sun came out again and when I emerged from the trees I had extensive views that stretched all the way to the Lammermuir Hills. I was reminded of the Southern Upland Way, which I did in 2023, but since that crosses the southern edge of the range those were not exactly the hills that I could now see. Eventually, after climbing over Drylaw Hill I dropped onto the road that passes through East Linton where I stopped to have my lunch and a rest after coming so far through tedium. With my blisters giving me renewed problems I left the village to walk along the bank of the River Tyne, however, the scenery was still too agricultural while the river was not wide enough to provide interest and eventually I left the river at Tyninghame Bridge to follow a wide track, the Ware Road, which led me to a sudden view across the mud and sands of the Tyne estuary. 

The route took me along an embankment, which was decorated with concrete blocks from World War Two, until, after crossing Hedderwick Burn, I entered what appeared to be a conifer plantation, but is actually part of the John Muir Country Park. I followed a fence beside the pine woods, with an animal park on the other side, before passing Bellhaven Bay to reach the outskirts of Dunbar, but then the trail took me onto a spectacular clifftop path. However, by this point it had started to rain while on my right was a golf course where the golfists still wanted to play their stupid game while being interrupted by innocent walkers just trying to follow a legitimate footpath. I didn’t know what I supposed to do. The poor weather and the golfists ruined the end of the John Muir Way for me so it was a relief when I finally left the clifftop path and came into the centre of Dunbar to reach the birthplace of John Muir. With the rain still falling I walked into the museum where I proudly proclaimed that I had just completed the John Muir Way, but I didn’t enjoy the trail, solely because it was too flat for me as a hill walker and I most enjoyed those sections that climbed up to visit the Antonine Roman wall. 

The following day I remained in Dunbar, which provided me with an opportunity to recover from the trail and with much better weather than I had endured at the end of the John Muir Way I took the opportunity to retrace my steps along the clifftop path and I had a much more pleasant walk, uninterrupted by anyone else, while admiring the spectacular cliffs. It was a very relaxing day.