ST ABB'S HEAD is like a David Attenborough documentary when its vast colonies of seabirds cling to the massive cliffs above the North Sea. In the spring and summer thousands of kittiwakes, guillemots and razorbills make this place their home, along with fulmars and even a few puffins.
The noise they make is not deafening – rarely is any noise in nature truly deafening – but it is certainly impressive as these sea fishers wheel around screeching their intentions to land and feed on the narrow cliff ledges.
It has been designated
a site of special scientific interest, a national nature reserve and a special protection area. So it must be good.
There are several routes laid out around the reserve. This one takes the highest of the cliffs but you can make it shorter – see the information board at the car park.
Take great care – the drops really can be fatal and are very close to the path in places. It's important to wear walking boots as the path is rocky and can be muddy. Also, keep wrapped up, as the winds can whip around the cliff faces.
It only takes a few minutes to reach spectacular coastline, at the deep bowl of Starney Bay. As the path gains height you can look back for a view of St Abbs harbour.
The cliffs – shattered into pinnacles in places – look like great spots for a scramble but as well as being very dangerous, you run the risk of disturbing the nesting birds.
You drop down to Horsecastle Bay – a good place for a picnic as it is often sheltered from the wind – before climbing by the side of Kirk Hill to the lighthouse and its foghorn, built in the 19th century by David and Thomas Stevenson.
From here you have a choice – follow the service road to Pettico Wick or take the more circuitous route along the cliff edge. The latter is more exciting as it contains some of the highest cliffs, but you must take extreme care on two counts – not to get too close to the edge and fall off and not to disturb cliff and ground-nesting birds. A collection of grass paths and sheep tracks provide breathtaking viewpoints of the cliffs and sea stacks, with thousands of birds filling the air.
As you get towards Pettico Wick make sure you walk right round to the left to avoid the cliffs that surround the little bay. There follows a pleasant return which is in real contrast to the previous terrain. A path takes you past the reed beds of Mire Loch, sheltering behind the grassy hills that end abruptly at the now unseen cliffs. A track and narrow lane then lead over rolling farmland back to the car park.
Distance 4 miles.
Height climbed 360ft.
Time 1.5 to 2.5 hours.
Map OS Landranger 67.
Park Leave the A1 a mile and a half south of Cove and follow the A1107 for ten miles to reach Coldingham. Turn right just after the Anchor Inn, and about a mile past the village take a turn off on the left to the St Abb's Head nature reserve car park.
In summary Head down past the visitor centre, follow a path running next to the road and after about 200 yards turn sharp left.
Go through a gate and follow a path up, above Starney Bay.
Drop down to Horsecastle Bay and follow a path to a gate that you go through and continue inland, below Kirk Hill, to your right.
After a couple of hundred yards ignore a path going off to the left and continue straight up a grassy slope which leads back to the cliff edge. Go left and follow the path up to the St Abb's Head lighthouse, which you walk round on the left-hand side.
The waymarked route follows the lighthouse service road down to Pettico Wick but it is more exciting to continue along the coast and its spectacular cliffs – do, however, take extreme care.
At the bottom of the service road go left, along a grass path – about 50 yards before a cattle grid. After only two or three yards go right at a fork and follow a path over a small stile and along the right side of Mire Loch. On reaching a track go right to walk up to a single-track road. Go left and follow the quiet road for the last mile or so to the start.
Refreshments There is a coffee shop at the visitor centre.
You can also head down to St Abbs harbour, where you will find two cafés – the Ebbscarr and Springbank Cottage. Both serve local crab.
While you are in the area You can hit the beach by returning to Coldingham and turning left at the edge of the village to reach a car park for Coldingham Bay. Otherwise, drive south to Eyemouth and enjoy a boat trip to get a different perspective on the spectacular coastline.
