Long distance
Berwickshire Coastal Path
Dramatic cliff-top walking along the Berwickshire coast with sea stacks, harbour villages and nesting seabirds. Connects to the Southern Upland Way at Cockburnspath. Best walked best north-to-south over 2 days. The full route covers 48 km (30 mi) with 1,100 m of climbing — a manageable mid-distance route.
Quick facts
- Distance
- 48 km/ 30 mi
- Typical days
- 2
- Total ascent
- 1100 m
- Difficulty
- moderate
- Start → Finish
- Cockburnspath → Berwick-upon-Tweed
- Best direction
- North to South
- Water sources
- Cockburnspath, Pease Bay, Coldingham, St Abbs, Eyemouth, Burnmouth, Berwick — all have taps, shops, pubs and cafes. The Berwickshire coast has continuous population. Never more than 3km from a refill.
- Mobile signal
- EE/Vodafone/O2 strong throughout. The Berwickshire coast has reliable coverage from both Scottish and English mast networks. The cliff sections near St Abbs Head may briefly drop, otherwise continuous.
✔ Waymarked throughout
Approximate profile derived from per-stage ascent — accurate on total climb and pattern, not a pixel-precise GPX trace.
Our take
The Berwickshire Coastal Path packs more drama per mile than routes twice its length. The cliffs between St Abbs and Eyemouth are genuinely spectacular — sea stacks, blowhole caves, and in spring and summer, thousands of nesting seabirds at St Abbs Head NNR. The fishing villages are picture-perfect. Two days is enough but you will want to linger.
Highlights
- Fast Castle ruins
- St Abbs Head — 60,000 nesting seabirds
- Eyemouth harbour
- Cliff-top walking throughout
Day-by-day itinerary
A suggested 2-day schedule. Adjust to your fitness and conditions.
1Cockburnspath to Eyemouth26km · 650m ascent
Dramatic cliff-top walking past Fast Castle ruins and St Abbs Head NNR with its 60,000 nesting seabirds. The most spectacular coastal scenery in southeast Scotland.
- Terrain
- Cliff-top paths, steep ascents and descents, rocky sections. Strenuous.
- Overnight
- Eyemouth has hotels, B&Bs and the Eyemouth Harbour area. St Abbs has B&Bs.
- Stats
- Cockburnspath → Eyemouth · 26km · ↑650m
2Eyemouth to Berwick-upon-Tweed22km · 450m ascent
Along the coast past Burnmouth and across the border into England to the walled town of Berwick. The Elizabethan walls and Tweed estuary make a fine finish.
- Terrain
- Cliff paths, beach walking, promenade into Berwick.
- Overnight
- Berwick has ample hotels and B&Bs. The town walls are worth exploring.
- Stats
- Eyemouth → Berwick-upon-Tweed · 22km · ↑450m
Transport
To start (Cockburnspath)
From finish (Berwick-upon-Tweed)
Train · LNER
Berwick-upon-Tweed station, East Coast Main Line, ~15 direct trains daily to Edinburgh (~41 min); also CrossCountry and TransPennine Express
Check times & book →
Best months
Accommodation
B&Bs at Cockburnspath, St Abbs, Eyemouth and Berwick. Limited but sufficient for a short route. B&Bs at Cockburnspath, St Abbs, Eyemouth and Berwick-upon-Tweed; St Abbs and Eyemouth fill quickly in seabird season, so book a month ahead in May and June.
Resupply
Small shops at St Abbs and Eyemouth. Berwick has full shops at the finish. Small shops at St Abbs and Eyemouth; Co-op in Berwick. No resupply gap is longer than 15km and pubs and cafes are reliable for lunches along the cliff route.
Connect with
Chain into a longer expedition by combining with adjacent long-distance routes.
Current conditions
Weather at the start point (Cockburnspath)
Daylight Today
- Sunrise
- 04:23
- Sunset
- 21:57
- Civil dawn
- 03:21
- Civil dusk
- 22:59
NOAA Solar Calculator · 16 June 2026
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Getting to and from the Berwickshire Coastal Path
Train and town anchors at each end of the route — on TripSCOT.