A walk along the Coast at Cove

In May we were lucky to have another sunny day off and headed to East Lothian to do a coastal walk in an area I know well. I have many happy memories of visiting Cove with my Uncle Andy. A week in the summer holidays spent in Dunbar with my Granny and my uncle and aunt meant many trips to the beach as my Uncle was an avid beach comber. I have him to thank for my life long love of the sea shore, looking for treasures and appreciating the big skies and endless views. Although a shorter walk (ideal after a hectic week at work) it took in the beach, a walk along the cliffs and back through farm land with great views out over the north sea and was three miles in total.

Memorial in Cove

There is a reasonable sized car park in the tiny hamlet of Cove on the cliff tops over looking the sea. Once parked up take time to look at the wonderful and emotive monument "Widows and Bairns", depicting the women and children looking out to sea, waiting for their menfolk to return after a violent  storm caught the fleet of fishermen in 1881, the Eyemouth fishing disaster took 189 fishermen, including 11 men from the tiny community of Cove.

The anguish has been beautiful captured by
the artist Jill Watson

To start the walk we went through the gate and onto the private road that heads down towards the natural harbour. At this time of year it is lined with sweetly smelling gorse and the last of the bluebells. Near the bottom the path splits, the left to the harbour and the right through the smugglers tunnel to the beach. We headed to the harbour first where there are some old cottages, surrounded by the bits and pieces of net and creels used by the fishermen still fishing out the harbour. At the far end of the harbour you can climb the steps to the top of the harbour wall for a great view all around and across the wee bay. Back along the harbour and up to the tunnel which takes you through to the beach, it takes a few minutes to walk through and isn't ever entirely dark. My Uncle used to scare us kids with smuggler tales when he took us there and then we'd burst out onto the beach in the sunlight leaving the smuggler ghosts behind, until we had to walk back through to go home........

Heading down to Cover Harbour

St Abbs Head in the distance

The buildings down at the harbour

From the top of the harbour wall

Out of the tunnel onto the beach

Always always happy on a beach

Teasels growing beside the sandstone cliffs

From the beach we walked back through the tunnel and back up the hill to the gate where we turned sharp left heading away from the car park. Here we took a short path through some trees past the last of the houses and out into the grassy area on top of the cliffs. A well worn path through the grass leads away along the cliff and this is the path we took. There are a few interesting info boards about the fascinating geology of the area as you can see in my photos below.

Heading across a wooden bridge over a small gully

There was plenty wildflowers and plants in flower along the walk including hawthorn, roses, thrift and alkanet 

Maisie and Rona on the cliffs above Cove

Thrift on the cliffs

The path meanders along the top of the cliffs with great views out over the north sea and south towards St Abbs Head and inland towards the Lammermuir Hills and eventually heads down into a small valley down some wooden steps. At the bottom is a wooden bridge across a small river then the path climbs back up the other side, shortly arriving at a road. 

Walking along between the cliffs and fields

Heading down from the cliff path

Looking back towards where we had just walked

We turned right at the road, past the cottages and headed west with the sea over the fields to the right. The road heads downhill to a hamlet of houses

Alkanet

Once we reached the little collection of cottages there's a path signed off to the right between two houses. Once past the buildings the grass path continues between two hedges and eventually comes out to the top of the cliffs where we started. 

Heading back towards the sea

between beautiful hawthorn hedges

Time for lunch with an beautiful view out to see

Waiting for cheese

This has become a favourite 

Our route

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