Aberlady Bay

Aberlady Bay lies on the coast of East Lothian between the villages of Aberlady and Gullane. It was declared the United Kingdom’s first Local Nature Reserve in 1952 and is cared for by East Lothian Council Rangers. The Scottish Ornithologists’ Club has its headquarters at Waterston House, a building with wide windows looking out over the water. The bay also forms part of the John Muir Way, a long-distance path that runs from Fisherrow near Musselburgh to Dunglass. It is also the East Lothian section of the North Sea Trail, a network of paths that links seven countries and twenty-six coastal areas. The bay contains the remains of eight historic fishing vessels at Kilspindie, dating from the 19th or early 20th century. These wrecks have been given protected status as maritime scheduled monuments. Two training submarines known as XT-craft were brought here in 1946 and used for target practice by the Royal Air Force. The wrecks lie close to the low-water mark and the tide can rise quickly, so visitors need to take care. The concrete blocks to which the craft were moored still stand in the bay. Visitors walk along the John Muir Way or the North Sea Trail and watch seabirds over the water. Waterston House offers views across the bay and is a place to learn about local birds. The shoreline at Kilspindie shows the remains of the old fishing boats and the concrete moorings of the XT-craft. The bay’s wide sands and salt marshes attract many species of wading birds throughout the year. The rising tide often brings seals close to the shore, where they can be seen swimming or resting on the sand.