St Abbs Beach (Starney Bay)

The picturesque, traditional fishing village of St Abbs has a harbour, a lifeboat station and an interactive visitor centre.  The village is surrounded by craggy cliffs and there are many rocky outcrops around the harbour area and along the coast.

The coast here is particularly popular with divers and snorkelers as the waters offshore from the village have a reputation for having exceptional clarity and are teeming with marine life.  This is also an excellent spot for birdwatching.  North of the village St Abbs Head National Nature reserve features spectacular cliffs which are home to nesting seabirds in the spring and summer months.  Guillemots, razorbills, kittiwakes and shags are a common sight here. 

At low tide this section of coastline contains plenty of interesting rockpools to explore. The St Abbs and Eyemouth Voluntary Marine Reserve is thought by some to be one of Scotland’s best rockpooling destinations. A leaflet can be downloaded to enhance any rockpooling expedition.

The area is also popular with walkers.  A signed cliff-top path runs from Creel Road towards the Blue Flag sandy beach at Coldingham Bay, and the 134-mile long John Muir Way is close by.