John Muir Way · Overnight stop
Accommodation in Aberlady
On Aberlady Bay, in the middle of the East Lothian golf coast, between the Edinburgh end of the coast and Gullane and North Berwick.
Between Prestonpans and North Berwick · Off-schedule stop
A small coastal village of about 1,300 beside Aberlady Bay, Britain's first local nature reserve — a tidal flat known for pink-footed geese in October and November and a wartime midget submarine on the sands at low tide. The village itself is a main street with a pub and a tearoom, and not much else.
Not a stage end on the official ten-section schedule, whose ninth section runs Prestonpans to North Berwick in one go. Stopping here splits that coast into two shorter, easy days.
What is actually in Aberlady
Few. This page names none, because none of the sources it was written from lists one; the map shows what is live.
How far ahead to book
Book this one early. The rooms here also serve the golf courses round about — Muirfield, Gullane, Kilspindie and more within a short drive — and golf, not walking, sets the pace.
When it is full
North Berwick, further along the coast, has far more beds. Drem station, about 4.5km east of the village, is 30 minutes from Edinburgh by train.
Getting there, and getting out
No station in the village. Drem, about 4.5km east, is the nearest railhead, with hourly trains to Edinburgh Waverley taking around 30 minutes.
Camping
Access code applies, but Aberlady Bay is a nature reserve and the surrounding coast is golf links and dune grassland: not ground to pitch on.
Food and resupply
Do not count on a resupply. Carry what you need from Musselburgh.
Get the OutdoorSCOT weekly
One email a week — new route, hill and bothy guides, seasonal conditions and the odd hard-won lesson. No spam, unsubscribe in one click.