How To Go From North Berwick To Tantallon Castle Without A Car

Tantallon Castle sits on the edge of the sea cliffs just outside the sea village of North Berwick.

Although North Berwick is very easy to get to from Edinburgh, it can be a bit tricky to get from North Berwick to Tantallon Castle (especially if you don’t have a car)… but it’s worth it!

I’ll go through all the alternative options, like taking the bus, walking, even biking! Hopefully you’ll be able to experience these breathtaking castle ruins without the struggle of getting there.

Psst! This blog post contains affiliate links in it which sends me a bit of extra money if you use them… at no extra cost to you!

A Guide To Tantallon Castle Scotland

Tantallon Castle is a unique castle near Edinburgh because it was built in the 1300s along the sea cliff.

In its heyday, Tantallon Castle was home to the Douglas family but it was attacked several times by the English, and even the Scots, leaving it in the ruined state we see today. 

When you visit this North Berwick Castle, you can wander through the ruined rooms, wondering what life was like back in the day.

You can still visit the prison and climb to the top of the tower for incredible views. (The castle is also the best spot to see Bass Rock (not sure what that is? Read my guide to North Berwick here). 

See admission prices here. Tantallon Castle is also a part of the Scottish Explorer Pass (see it here), which I recommend buying if you’re interested in visiting more castles in Scotland.

How To Go From North Berwick To Tantallon Castle

Tantallon castle is just over 5 kms away from North Berwick.

It would be about a 10 minute drive.

If you don’t have a car though, you can either walk, take a bus, taxi, or go on an organized tour from North Berwick to Tantallon Castle.

Walking and taking the bus both seemed simple enough when reading about them in advance, but in reality, they each came with their own set of problems. 

Again, it was nothing that couldn’t be avoided with some advance planning. So I’m going to delve into the issues that the other blogs or discussion boards never brought up.

	Taxi	Bus	Organized Tour	Walk
Pros	Quick!	Quick and inexpensive	Least stressful, planned itinerary and transportation	A scenic route, flexible on timing
Cons	No cell reception for the way back	Only comes every 2 hours	Includes other activities around North Berwick	Exhausting! Scary at times
Cost	$$$	$$	$$$$	$
Time	10 minutes	20 minutes	Half to full day	1 hour
Full Guide	Click here.	Click here.	Click here.	Click here.

Take A Taxi To Tantallon Castle Scotland

Taking a taxi is one of the easiest ways to get to Tantallon Castle from North Berwick.

It will cost you more than taking the bus or walking, but it is the fastest!

The real problem arises on the way back.

From what I read, the cell reception isn’t great near the castle. So you might not be able to order a taxi to get back to North Berwick.

Taking The Bus From North Berwick To Tantallon Castle

Taking the bus to Tantallon Castle is fairly simple, it just requires some advanced planning…

Whenever taking public transit, my main concern is always having the proper change for it. In Scotland, you can use your credit card if it has contactless payment enabled.

There’s no stress about buying your ticket before hand, simply walk on the bus and buy your ticket with your card in the moment. Don’t worry if you’re two people too, you can use the same card. 

Ready for the downside? Here it is!

There only one bus (the 120) that goes from North Berwick to Tantallon Castle and it only comes by every 2 hours! All this means is that you’ll just have to plan your day around the bus schedule, see it here. 

The other thing you have to watch out for are the actual bus stops. You shouldn’t have an issue in North Berwick, where the stops are well labelled (I’d recommend hopping on the bus stop just outside the Scottish Seabird Centre).

But on the way back you have to watch out because there aren’t any labelled stops on the side of the road. You just have to stand in a random spot on the side of the road and hope it stops.

We waited on the A198 across the street from the castle driveway, and the bus stopped for us! Make sure to look both ways when crossing the street, cars come around the bend pretty fast.

If you have any other questions, don’t be shy to ask the bus driver! From my experience, they’ve always been super friendly.

Go On An Organized Tour To Tantallon Castle

An organized tour is the most stress-free way to get to Tantallon Castle, albeit the most expansive too!

There’s only one tour that goes to Tantallon Castle, see it on Viator here.

It leaves from Edinburgh and takes you to Tantallon Castle, North Berwick, and a few other key spots along the way.

Walking From North Berwick To Tantallon Castle

Like I said, North Berwick is over 5 km away from Tantallon Castle (5.7 km to be exact!). So, you can walk, but it will be a long walk. It takes about an hour to walk to the castle ruins.

If you’ve read anything about walking from North Berwick to Tantallon Castle, it’s that there are two routes:

You can either walk next to the A198 highway or follow the more picturesque path along the coast. Both options take about the same amount of time… an hour.

Option 1: Walking Along A198 Highway

Walking to Tantallon Castle North Berwick along the highway is the more straightforward path of the two. It’s one street that will take you all the way from North Berwick to Tantallon Castle.

There’s very little risk of getting lost on this route.

But, understandably, walking along a highway for an hour isn’t such a nice experience. There is a sidewalk, but it’s not the widest, and the cars drive by… quite fast.

Option 2: Walking Along The Coast To Tantallon Castle Scotland

The second option for walking to Tantallon Castle is along the coastline of the Firth of Forth.

The views from here are out of this world! You have the sea on one side, the beach below, and the Berwick Law behind you. It doesn’t get much better than that!

But walking along the coast to Tantallon Castle North Berwick comes with its own risks…

Warning About Walking Along The Coast To Tantallon Castle

The path along the coast from North Berwick to Tantallon Castle is far from well defined.

It starts off as a narrow, potentially muddy path. But as you continue, it becomes less and less defined until you lose it altogether. You really have to search for it amongst tall, uncut grass. 

You also have to be careful walking along the path, you are walking on the edge of a golf course and people are actively playing. So make sure to watch out for golf balls!

But even more importantly with the coastal route is that you have to keep an eye on the rising tide.

There are certain portions of the coastal walk that bring you along the beach, next to some sea cliffs.

So it’s no surprise that depending on when you’re walking, some areas get completely overtaken by the tide (and you won’t be able to make it across!).

Check the tide times (here) before you leave, and give yourself more than enough time to complete the walk. You’ll want to start walking just after high tide when the tide is receding.

If you make it to the end of the route, the path to get off the last beach is almost non-existent, and you have to climb a huge steep hill to get back to the top. We were grabbing into bunches of grass to pull ourselves up! 

How To Walk Along The Coast To Tantallon Castle North Berwick

If you still want to take this route to North Berwick Castle, it’s relatively simple.

Start by walking along Mislay Bay Beach in North Berwick and follow the path up to the Glen Golf Club. At the top, to your left, you should see a small path between the tall grass.

The first half of the walk is a breeze; there’s a well defined path leading you to the next beach.

But once you reach the first beach, the path starts to become less distinguished, and this is where you can run into some problems…

If ever you see two paths, always take the one that goes up. Although it might seem like a better idea to go back down to the beach, it never is. That’s where you can run into trouble with the tide, and having to find another path to bring you back up.

My Recommendation To Walk To North Berwick Castle

Coming from someone you tried the coastal route – I’d say it’s not worth it.

Instead, I’d recommend walking along Mislay Bay Beach, up until the golf course. This is where you’ll get some of the best views.

You can continue safely until Haugh Road Beach. It’s after here you’ll start to run into the problems. 

After Haugh Road Beach, I’d recommend trying to walk through the golf course to make your way to the main highway route and continue your walk the rest of the way. 

But if you want the safest, and most direct route to the castle, just bite the bullet and walk along the highway the whole time. I’m sure you’ll still get some great views along the way too!

Worthwhile Stop On Your Route: The Drift Cafe!

Whichever walking route you take to reach Tantallon Castle Scotland, make sure to stop at the Drift Cafe.

It’s about 45 minutes into your walk, so you’ll be ready for a much needed break.

The Drift Cafe is a lovely restaurant serving lunch and coffee. But what sets it a part is that it’s made out of two shipping containers and it’s perched along the sea cliff. Needless to say, you have some incredible views from here.

Where Stay Overnight In North Berwick Scotland

North Berwick Scotland is also a very popular weekend getaway from Edinburgh.

So if you decide to stay the night, here are some options:

For a truly unique experience book The Weir Whitekirk Hill in between North Berwick and Tantallon Castle. You get an entire apartment all to yourself with hotel-like amenities (a restaurant, indoor pool and sauna, and even an indoor playground and terrace for guests to use!). You can even book a room with a view of the North Berwick Law. It doesn’t get much better than that! See room rates and availability.

If you’re looking for a bit more budget-friendly, and in the city centre of North Berwick, Nether Abbey Hotel is the place to stay. What I love about this accommodation is the traditional Scottish breakfast made with fresh locally sourced produce included with your stay. Plus, you might even be able to book a room with a view of the beach! See room rates and availability.

For more accommodation options in North Berwick click here. Or find a place to stay in Edinburgh click here.

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Visiting Scotland? Read My Other Guides

• How To Spend a Day in North Berwick [From Edinburgh]
• The Best Castles To Visit Near Edinburgh
• What I Wish I’d Known Before Driving in Scotland

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Last update on 2024-05-13 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API