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Aberlady Bay Nature Reserve

Free entryNatureEdinburgh And LothiansAll ages
ParkingAvailable
ToiletsNot available
Step-free accessNo
WeatherOutdoors, best when dry
DogsDog friendly

About this place

Scotland's first local nature reserve, a tidal bay and dune system on the East Lothian coast, reached by a wooden footbridge.

Designated in 1952, Aberlady Bay was Scotland's first local nature reserve, and its wide expanse of mudflats, saltmarsh and dunes remains an important site for wintering and migrating birds, with a real chance of spotting geese, waders and other wildfowl depending on the season. A distinctive wooden footbridge crosses the tidal channel at the entrance, giving the walk out onto the reserve a memorable start even before reaching the open dunes and beach beyond. It's a genuinely wild, unmanicured landscape rather than a manicured park, well suited to families who enjoy proper outdoor exploration. It's free to visit, with parking at the entrance, and the reserve's paths cross soft sand and marsh, making it unsuitable for buggies.

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56.018, -2.8768