North Berwick, Scotland, United Kingdom
North Berwick, Milsey Bay
Milsey Bay, North Berwick's East Sands, is a 1.1 km sandy beach looking straight out to the Bass Rock and its seabird colony, close to the Scottish Seabird Centre. At low tide the sea can be 170 m out, so aim for the higher half of the tide; a tide-filled paddling pool on the sands holds water when the sea is out. Trains run direct from Edinburgh.
Photo: kim traynor · CC BY-SA 2.0
Latest reading · SwimScore 79/100 (Good swim) for a typical swimmer: air 11°C, wind 7 km/h, waves 0.4 m, UV 0. Updated .
Know before you go
- Best conditions
- Dry weather and a mid-to-high tide, when the water is closest to the beach.
- Getting in
- Open public beach on the east side of North Berwick, about 20 miles east-northeast of Edinburgh; the bathing water is roughly 1.1 km of sand, backed by the town.
- Parking & transport
- North Berwick railway station is on the ScotRail North Berwick Line, with direct trains from Edinburgh.
- Water quality
- SEPA classifies North Berwick (Milsey Bay) as Good (awarded 2025, applying in 2026). SEPA advises against bathing during or 1-2 days after heavy rain; combined sewer overflows east and west of the bay can discharge in heavy rain.
- Season
- SEPA monitors designated bathing waters from 15 May to 15 September.
- Watch for
- Large tidal range: the water's edge can be 0-170 m away depending on the tide
- Short-term pollution risk after heavy rain
- Jellyfish can be more numerous in summer
- Facilities
- Tide-filled boating pond and paddling pool on the East Sands · Scottish Seabird Centre, with a café, nearby by the harbour
Sources: bathingwaters.sepa.org.uk, bathingwaters.sepa.org.uk, en.wikipedia.org
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Details
- Location
- North Berwick, Scotland, United Kingdom
- Type
- ocean
- Coordinates
- 56.0588, -2.7047