Luxury holidays in East Lothian
You’ll find it hard to believe you’re just 45 minutes from Edinburgh amid the spectacular rolling hills and long stretches of sandy beach in East Lothian. There’s no escaping that this is God’s own golf country – it’s home to the world-famous courses of Muirfield, Gullane and North Berwick – but if you don’t know a birdie from a bogey, you’ll still find the county’s charms well above par. Pay a visit to the picturesque town of North Berwick and stroll through its idiosyncratic independent shops, take a boat trip to Bass Rock to see the seabirds or walk the meandering John Muir way, a scenic path that takes in the coastal expanses. Brave neoprene-clad souls can swim, surf and kayak in the Firth of Forth – but our counsel is to do the exact opposite of that and gallop to the nearest gastropub for haggis, neeps and tatties with lashings of scrumptious cider.
When to go
East Lothian may be proud of its billing as the sunniest spot in Scotland, but it’s a dubious honour in a country known for its moody skies and storm-blown coasts. The good news is that when it blows a gale, you won’t be short of cosy spots or warming drams of whiskey. It’ll be jam-packed during August when the area hosts Fringe by the Sea, an offshoot of the Edinburgh Festival.