2: Sunken Submarines in Aberlady Nature Reserve
Start in Aberlady, ends in Gullane
Easy but prepare for a longer walk of around 7km
2.5 - 3.5 hours of walking
No hills (35m ascent)
May need hiking boots / wellies for the beach section
Getting to the Start
Before we start… no dogs in the nature reserve - sorry!
Head to the car park at the entrance to Aberlady Nature Reserve (where there is a large wooden footbridge) around 1km east of Aberlady village (POSTCODE: EH32 0QB)
Highlights
Explore the hulks of two Second World War midget submarines on Aberlady Beach
Spot special wildlife on the walk through the Nature Reserve, towards the sand dunes
The sand dunes are super fun to play on
From the beach, the coastal walk to Gullanehas stunning views
Have some refreshments in Gullane and jump on the bus back!
Walk Description
Follow the Nature Reserve footpath out to the beach across the footbridge.
You’ll walk through a ‘tunnel’ of bushes, pass the marl loch on your left.
Turn left at the junction of paths and head towards the big sand dune.
Climb this big sand dune and run down the other side! Don’t worry if you get lost in the last few steps - just keep heading for the sea.
From the top of the sand dunes, you can see the submarines if you look over towards the Pentlands. To reach them, it‘s about a 15-minute walk (three-quarters of a mile) across the sand.
After visiting the submarines, turn east and continue to the far end of the beach where it becomes rockier, and take a path that heads up onto the low dunes to reach Gullane Point.
Follow the paths and eventually you’ll see some concrete defences from the Second World War. Climb up to them.
Follow a grassy track to the left above the clifftops - with the golf courses of Gullane on the right. You’ll have to cross one of the golf course tees at one point.
Continue along the clifftop and keep your eyes peeled for a sign saying “Gullane Bents”.
It’s fairly straightforward to find Gullane from there!
TOP TIPS
The No. 124 bus runs every 30 minutes form Gullane back to Aberlady. Timetable here.
You need the tide to be out to access the submarines. You can see tide times here.
We’ve stopped for refreshments in the Old Clubhouse pub once or twice and really enjoyed that, before heading back on the bus.
Press play for details on the walk below. You can also download it from here and add to GPS on your phone.
