Camping in Coldingham

Coldingham sits on one of the most rewarding short stretches of coastline in Scotland for campers, and this is genuinely wild country in places, so it is worth knowing the rules before you pitch up. Scotland's right to roam, set out in the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 and the Scottish Outdoor Access Code, means wild camping is generally legal on unenclosed land here, away from buildings, roads and enclosed fields, and provided you camp responsibly, in small numbers, for a couple of nights at most, and leave no trace. It is a genuinely different proposition from camping south of the border, and the clifftops and coves around St Abbs Head are a popular, if exposed, spot for those who come prepared.

For anyone who would rather not rely on wild camping, there are touring caravan and camping sites within a few miles of the village, many making the most of sea views towards St Abbs Head, along with a growing number of glamping pods and yurts scattered around the Berwickshire coast and countryside inland, offering a more comfortable base for exploring the cliffs and beaches without the exposure of a tent on open ground.

The terrain here is coastal rather than mountainous: exposed clifftop grassland, rocky headlands and a sweep of dune behind Coldingham Bay, which means good shelter is at a premium and a sturdy, weatherproof tent matters more than in a sheltered glen inland. Late spring and early autumn, roughly May, June and September, tend to offer the best combination of long daylight, settled weather and fewer midges, since the biting insects that plague more sheltered, wooded parts of Scotland from June to August are far less of a problem on this open, breezy coastline. Whatever the season, a stiff onshore wind off the North Sea is the norm rather than the exception, so pack accordingly.