A walk around St Abb's Head

This walk begins and ends in the village of Coldingham home to a ruined priory. The route heads down to Coldingham Sands with its beach huts and along the cliff to the village of St Abbs (originally called Coldinham Shore until the late 19th century). From the harbour the walk runs along the cliff top taking in the traces of the medieval moastery dedicated to St Aebbe on Kirk Hill.

St Aebbe was sainted for bringng christianity to the area in the 7th century. Soon after the route passes the St Abbs lighthouse with its foghorn and keepers cottages, which was designed by the Stevensons and began operating in 1862. The sea stacks just north of the lighthouse are famous for their sea birds, and in April were covered in guillemots.

The route heads down to Pettico Wick, once a smugglers harbour, and continues along the cliff top to the Iron Age hillforts at Tun Law. From here the path heads past Coldingham Loch to pick up a public road back into Coldingham village.