Walk of the week: Gullane Bents and Bay

THE beauty of East Lothian’s coast is hard to overstate – sandy bays, rocky outcrops and coves and little intrusion from roads running close to the shoreline make it world class.

This walk takes in a less frequented series of paths behind the coast, offering a glimpse of Muirfield golf course along the way, before emerging by the sea and returning to the stunning Gullane Bay. Windsurfers love it here and to watch one speeding towards the beach then stopping on the metaphorical sixpence is enough to delay you for a few minutes.

Yomps, or long walks, are increasingly popular in Scotland – yesterday the Alliance Trust Cateran Yomp was taking place, covering 54 miles in Perthshire over 24 hours, raising money for soldiers and their families. The challenge of these events is a great way to attract people to the countryside and whet their appetite for more. Although the route described below is far from being a yomp, it will certainly make a return trip extremely likely – it is one of the best shore coastal walks in the country.

DISTANCE 3½ miles.

HEIGHT CLIMBED 130ft.

TIME 1½ to 2 hours.

MAP OS Landranger 66.

PARK Follow a brown sign for Gullane Bents from the west end of Gullane’s Main Street down Sandy Loan. Turn left at the end to reach a car park.

IN SUMMARY Head to an information board at the shore side of the car park then go right to a grassy area next to the road. A faint path meets a track; go left. Follow the track to the left, past some pines. After crossing a burn on a bridge made of railway sleepers, follow a sandy path to the right. At a fork go right then, after crossing another small bridge and going uphill again, go right at another fork. Keep right to skirt a large green metal shed and reach a track, where you go left. Be respectful of golfers and keep dogs under control as you are now next to Muirfield golf course. At a sign saying ‘Course Vehicles Only’ swing left, towards the sea. The track leads to the shore. Go left then bear right on a grass path, past the end of the bay and above the rocky shore, before passing a stone ruin.

A series of paths lead above the shore, past sandy bays and rocky outcrops until the vast expanse of Gullane Bay is reached. (Take care at high tide if you are close to the water.) Follow the beach for almost two-thirds of a mile where a gap in the dunes (next to an emergency line) leads to a path back to the car park.

REFRESH Try the Old Clubhouse in Gullane, overlooking the golf links.

WHILE YOU ARE IN THE AREA The Scottish Seabird Centre (www.seabird.org) at North Berwick has interactive exhibitions, telescopes and live webcams on Bass Rock with its plethora of gannets. At the harbour, outside the seabird centre, a number of boat trips will take you out to Bass Rock and the other little islands closer to shore.

NICK DRAINEY