St Abb's Head

St Abb’s Head is a rocky promontory on the Berwickshire coast, rising above the village of St Abbs. The headland is capped by hard volcanic rock while softer sedimentary cliffs flank it to north and south. Mire Loch, a 600-metre-long freshwater loch, sits in a low valley created by the St Abb’s Head Fault. The lighthouse, designed by David and Thomas Stevenson, has guided ships since 1862. A 7th-century monastery once stood on Kirk Hill, protected by a turf rampart still visible today. The reserve shelters one of Europe’s largest seabird colonies, with 60,000 birds including guillemots, razorbills and kittiwakes. Rare northern brown argus butterflies feed on wild thyme and rock rose in fenced plots. The fishing station at Pettico Wick Bay operated from 1880 to 1950, supplying the lighthouse. In 1914 the cruiser HMS Pathfinder became the first warship sunk by a torpedo off the head, an event witnessed by Aldous Huxley. Visitors follow cliff-top paths past sea stacks and steep gullies to the lighthouse. Mire Loch’s grassy banks hold displays of wildflowers and dragonflies. The St Abbs Visitor Centre in the old village hall shows artefacts and interactive exhibits. From its windows the view stretches 180 degrees over the harbour and along the coast to Fast Castle.