Berwickshire Coastal Path
The Berwickshire Coastal Path is a 48 km waymarked route along the dramatic sea cliffs of the Scottish Borders coast from Berwick-upon-Tweed to Cockburnspath — passing ruined castles, nesting seabird colonies and some of the finest coastal scenery in southern Scotland.
About Berwickshire Coastal Path
The Berwickshire coast is one of Scotland's least-visited coastlines — dramatic red sandstone and dolerite cliffs dropping to the North Sea, ruined clifftop castles (Fast Castle is the most dramatic), puffin and gannet nesting sites, and virtually no crowds even in summer. The coastal path follows the cliff edge for most of its 48 km.
For trail runners it is a strong one-day challenge on well-maintained paths with excellent waymarking. The section between St Abbs and Cockburnspath is the finest — the St Abbs Head National Nature Reserve gives the best seabird spectacle outside the Scottish islands.
The route
Berwick to Eyemouth (~15 km): Along the English/Scottish border coast. Eyemouth is a traditional fishing town.
Eyemouth to St Abbs (~8 km): The nature reserve section — puffins, kittiwakes, razorbills. St Abbs Head lighthouse.
St Abbs to Cockburnspath (~25 km): Past Fast Castle (the most dramatic ruin on the route), Pease Bay and the dene woods to the finish.
Getting there & logistics
Start: Berwick-upon-Tweed. Regular trains on the East Coast Main Line.
Finish: Cockburnspath. Bus to Dunbar; train to Edinburgh.
Best time: May to July for seabird breeding season.
Safety
The cliff-top paths have unfenced edges in places and can be slippery in wet conditions. In an emergency: call 999 or 112 and ask for Coastguard. Good mobile signal for most of the route.
Have you completed Berwickshire Coastal Path?
Log your round — time, date, attempt type, photos. Connect Strava to pull in your activity automatically.
Completions
No completions logged yet — be the first.