East Lothian is a beautiful coastal region in Scotland that offers plenty for wheelchair users seeking an accessible day out or weekend getaway. It has quickly become one of my favourite places to visit.
I feel fortunate to live just an hour away from East Lothian, so it has always been on my radar. My family and I have often stopped there while passing through, but we never fully explored the area until recently. In April, I had the opportunity to spend a weekend discovering East Lothian while working with Visit East Lothian. I enjoyed it so much that I booked another trip in July, this time bringing my family along.
If you are planning your own accessible trip, read on to discover my roundup of wheelchair accessible things to do in East Lothian that we managed to enjoy during our visit. I also have some accommodation recommendations for wheelchair accessible hotels in the area and how much we paid. I hope this inspires you to experience the beauty and history of this charming region.
Wheelchair Accessible Things to do in East Lothian
1. Beach Wheelchairs North Berwick
In my opinion, you can’t visit East Lothian without spending time at one of its beautiful golden sandy beaches. With over forty miles of coastline to explore, there is plenty to enjoy. Thankfully, local charity Beach Wheelchairs North Berwick has prioritised access for disabled visitors, making it easier for everyone to enjoy the beach.
I have visited West Beach in North Berwick twice this year, and on both occasions, I used the amazing Magic Mobility Extreme X8 Powerchair. They have two of these powerchairs available, making it ideal for those, like me, who have family and friends who are also wheelchair users and want to enjoy beach time together.
These wheelchairs are available for free hire and have made our time at the beach possible. I’ve had amazing experiences with my family, especially my nephews, playing in the sand and searching for shells.
It’s not only powered wheelchairs, they also offer a range of manual beach wheelchairs, a beach walker, and a fixed outdoor hoist, all available for free hire.
There is also accessible parking next to their beach hut, which is perfect. They will store your wheelchair for you, but I just put mine in my car since it was parked close.
This service provides a fantastic opportunity for everyone to enjoy a day at the beach without restrictions.
I can’t recommend Beach Wheelchairs North Berwick and the incredible volunteers enough. Without them, so many disabled people would be denied the simple joy of the beach.
2. Scottish Seabird Centre
The Scottish Seabird Centre, located in North Berwick, is an excellent starting point for anyone interested in exploring the coastal wildlife of East Lothian. Scotland has the longest coastline in Europe, which provides vital habitats for marine life, including deep-sea coral reefs and kelp forests. The Discovery Centre at the Scottish Seabird Centre allows visitors to delve into these topics through various exhibits, a cinema, and interactive live cameras.
Seabirds like Atlantic puffins and Northern gannets come to this coast to nest and raise their young. The nearby Bass Rock, visible from the Scottish Seabird Centre, is home to the largest colony of Northern gannets in the world. David Attenborough has described it as one of the “wildlife wonders of the world.”
The Scottish Seabird Centre is wheelchair accessible, featuring a level entrance with an automatic door, lift access inside, and an accessible toilet. We parked in one of the Blue Badge parking bays located adjacent to the centre on Melbourne Road.
3. Seabird Cafe
Even if you’re not visiting the Scottish Seabird Centre, the Seabird Café is a fantastic place for lunch or a quick stop for tea and cake. We enjoyed burgers and a delicious Empire biscuit while taking in the stunning sea views and watching the waves crash against the rocks. The café also has outdoor seating, which would be perfect on a sunny day.
4. National Museum of Flight
The National Museum of Flight is a family-friendly museum in East Fortune. It is situated on one of the UK’s best-preserved Second World War airfields and features over 50 aircraft. It’s an interesting museum with historic planes to more modern planes and engaging displays about aviation history, providing plenty to see and learn. We all thoroughly enjoyed our visit, including my nephews, who are aged 4 and 12.
One of the highlights was seeing Concorde up close. My nephews loved getting on board Concorde and a few other aircraft, even getting a look inside the cockpit. Unfortunately, the planes can only be boarded via stairs, so I wasn’t able to get on board (similar to what happens in real life).
However, I found that wheelchair access throughout the museum and airfield was excellent. The staff were very friendly and helpful, providing me with plenty of information and photos when I couldn’t access the plane.
I loved seeing wheelchair accessible picnic tables dotted around the area, which me and nephews enjoyed trying out. We had a lovely lunch in the café, and my nephews were thrilled with the cakes for dessert.
Accessible parking spaces are available throughout the site, and you can drive between the different hangars and buildings. There are also accessible toilets across the site.
5. Archerfield Walled Garden
If, like me, you’re a nature and plant lover, a visit to Archerfield Walled Garden in the picturesque village of Dirleton is a great spot.
The Walled Garden has level pathways throughout and is divided into themed sections, such as a rose garden, perennial meadow, wildlife area, and a propagation tunnel. We visited in early spring before the blooms, and I can only imagine how vibrant it becomes in spring and summer.
It’s the perfect place to spend a few hours, as there is also a cafe, a food market, and a garden shop selling plants, accessories, gifts, and more. Plus, there is a woodland Fairy Trail, pond, Labyrinth, and the Willow Walk, which I’d love to explore the next time we visit.
6. Yellowcraig Beach
Yellowcraig is a beautiful beach along the East Lothian coastline, known for its stunning scenery and soft sands. I was excited to visit, especially after the recent building works to improve accessibility. These renovations included a new accessible viewing platform that offers breathtaking views of the beach. In the distance, you can see Fidra Island and its lighthouse, which inspired Robert Louis Stevenson’s famous book, Treasure Island, published in 1883.
I love that there is now an accessible viewing platform for wheelchair users to enjoy the sea views, however, I struggled to spot my family on the beach due to the distance and the platform’s positioning, which made me feel quite disconnected from them.
I’ve since found out that if you are staying at Doddie Weir House (an accessible cottage, a stones throw from Yellowcraig) you can use their manual beach wheelchair to access Yellowcraig.
We picked the windiest day to visit Yellowcraig Beach. At times, the gusts were so strong that it was hard for us to move, and the wind even blew my eyelashes shut! (Haha.) I love the photos above of me and my family with our hoods up, laughing as we were battered by the wind.
There is also a children’s play park at Yellowcraig that has a wheelchair accessible roundabout and a picnic table that’s also accessible. I couldn’t resist giving the roundabout a spin!
Another highlight was the brand-new Changing Places toilet, which is fantastic. If you’re a Blue Badge holder, you can also park for free in the car park.
7. John Muir’s Birthplace
We travelled to Dunbar to learn more about its most famous and influential resident, John Muir. Born in Dunbar in 1838, John spent his formative years exploring the coastal region of East Lothian before moving to America with his family. He became a renowned explorer, writer, and conservationist, regarded as one of the founding figures of Yosemite National Park.
The home where he lived with his family has now been transformed into a free museum, allowing visitors to learn about his life, contributions, and accomplishments.
Even though the building dates back to the 1800s, I was impressed by the accessibility features of John Muir’s Birthplace. These include a step-free entrance, a modern platform lift providing access to all three floors, and an accessible toilet.
8. Dunbar Harbour and Battery
While you’re in Dunbar, don’t miss the chance to explore Dunbar Harbour and Battery, which is rich in history. Constructed as a civil defence structure in 1781, the Battery also functioned as a hospital for infectious diseases and later as a military hospital during World War I.
Today, the Battery serves as an open-air venue that is definitely worth a visit for its breathtaking views of the Firth of Forth and the North Sea. It’s a perfect place to sit back, unwind, and take in the coastal scenery, including sights of Bass Rock and the nearby Dunbar Castle.
Wheelchair Accessible Hotels in East Lothian
I have visited East Lothian twice and stayed in two different hotels during my trips. While searching for a wheelchair accessible hotel in the area, I noticed that there are no big chain hotels, which are usually my go-to, as I know what to expect in terms of accessibility. East Lothian has lots of beautiful hotels, from small family-run hotels to luxury spas. Fortunately, I found two hotels that met my accessibility needs for my overnight stays.
1. The Mallard Hotel
The first hotel we stayed at was The Mallard Hotel in the lovely village of Gullane. This boutique hotel has eighteen rooms, as well as a restaurant, bar, and lounge space.
We stayed in an accessible room that was comfortable for our overnight visit. It had a super king bed, which can be made into twin singles if required.
The bathroom was quite spacious and included a roll-in shower. However, the shower controls were positioned behind the shower seat, making them difficult to reach. While there were grab bars at the toilet and sink, there were none in the shower area.
Accessible parking is available directly in front of the hotel, and there is also a hotel car park located at the back. It’s worth mentioning that the reception desk is situated a few steps up, but one of the restaurant staff members kindly offered to check us in.
Our booking for one night cost £199, including breakfast, which I thought was a bit high, but it was one of the cheapest hotels I could find.
2. Pine Marten
We stayed at The Pine Marten in Dunbar, which was our choice of hotel on our second visit to East Lothian. We chose it mainly for the price, as we needed two rooms for our family trip. Most of the hotels we checked were quite expensive for our dates, but The Pine Marten offered a reasonable rate, including breakfast. It is part of the Marston’s Inn collection and has an on-site pub restaurant that serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Our accessible room was basic, but we understood we wouldn’t be spending much time there. The bathroom featured a roll-in shower and had enough space for me to move around comfortably in my wheelchair.
Our booking for one night cost £148.00, including breakfast, which again was one of the cheapest hotels I could find.
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