Edinburgh beyond the fringe: the best day trips from the city by train

11.08.2023 - 15:39 / theguardian.com / David Attenborough

Of the half million annual visitors to the Edinburgh International Festival (running from 4-28 August this year), the vast majority don’t leave the city. Which is understandable given the cultural smörgåsbord on offer, and that it takes place in (arguably) the UK’s most attractive city. But it’s also a wasted opportunity given that this is the capital of one of the most beautiful countries in the world, with a wealth of stunning scenery on its doorstep.

The really epic stuff is up in the Highlands, several hours away, but you can get a taste of Scotland’s unique wild beauty on a day trip from Edinburgh. Here are three suggestions easily reached by public transport that take in a hill walk, amazing wildlife and a famous loch.

Fastest train from Edinburgh to North Berwick: 24 minutes

The scenic southern shores of the Firth of Forth in East Lothian make for a perfect day at the coast. North Berwick, which a became popular resort in the 19th century, is a quintessential Scottish seaside town, with two vast golden sandy beaches to play on, rock pools to explore and great seafood and fish and chips – try the Lobster Shack in the harbour.

Three miles and a bumpy boat ride from North Berwick is Bass Rock, which David Attenborough has called “one of the wildlife wonders of the world”. In summer, this extinct volcano is home to up to 150,000 nesting gannets, as well as guillemots, razorbills, cormorants, puffins and numerous gulls.

Almost every square foot of the vertiginous rock, as well as the air around it, is thick with gannets. The sight, sound and stench of these huge, noisy birds as they divebomb into the sea for fish is an almost overwhelming assault on the senses. The boat ride also takes in a smaller island populated by thousands of puffins – the kids on board our boat preferred these cute, slightly comedic birds to the manic gannets.

Back on dry land, the interactive Scottish Seabird Centre, built at the turn of the millennium as an observation point for Bass Rock, is an impressively hands-on visitor centre, with zoom-in cameras and telescopes giving closeup views of the birds.

A short bus ride east from North Berwick is the semi-ruined Tantallon Castle (open but some access restrictions currently in place), a red sandstone fortress built in the 14th century high on a cliff edge. We arrived early and for an hour were the only visitors taking in the fine views out to the Firth of Forth and the castle’s bloody history (it was besieged several times, the last being by Oliver Cromwell’s army).

If you play golf, East Lothian is home to some of the world’s best links courses, including North Berwick’s West Links, Muirfield and Gullane. Booking essential at all courses.

Fastest train from Edinburgh: 40