Glenkinchie Distillery Milleur House B&B
DAY 3: BASS ROCK & BIRDIES
The following morning we enjoy a hearty breakfast
to fuel up for the day ahead. Paul chooses the
full Scottish of eggs, bacon, wild boar sausages,
black pudding, tomato and mushrooms. I go for
the scrambled eggs and Scottish smoked salmon
on a toasted muffin. “I don’t do fast food here, I
do good slow food, and all our produce is locally-
sourced,” says Moira.
We take a leisurely stroll along North Berwick’s
beach and then board a catamaran from the
picturesque harbour for a one-hour island seabird
cruise. Less than half a mile away is the small island
and bird colony of Craigleith where our guide
points out a variety of seabird species; guillemots,
razorbills, kittiwakes, eider ducks, cormorants and
crowd-pleasing puffins with their clown-like faces
and huge, multicoloured bills.
The star of the seabird tour is Bass Rock, a steep-
sided volcanic rock which is home to the largest
Northern gannet colony in the world, with numbers
peaking at over 150,000 birds. Gannets are Britain’s
largest seabird and have a distinctive appearance:
adults are bright white with black wingtips, long
neck, pointed beak and long pointed tail. They are
38
Destination Golf .TRAVEL
famed for their diving prowess and plunge into the
sea at speeds of up to 60mph to feed on fish. It’s
an incredible sight and the rock is literally white
because of the sheer volume and density of the
gannets.
On the return journey back to the harbour there is
a handsome view of 14th-century Tantallon Castle,
the spectacular cliff-top seat of the Douglases;
one of the most powerful families in Scotland.
Back in North Berwick and well worth a visit is the
Scottish Seabird Centre, where you can control the
interactive live cameras to watch the gannets on
Bass Rock and the puffins on Craigleith.
In the afternoon we check in for a stay and play
at Craigielaw Golf Lodge which boasts 25 well-
appointed rooms with some overlooking the 18-
hole golf course. Although only opened in 2001, this
Donald Steel design is true to links traditions and
looks and plays like it’s been part of the landscape
for a century or more. Routed through a gently
undulating landscape, it features challenging greens
that are tricky to hold, strategically-placed bunkers,
meandering burns and ancient stone dykes. Other
facilities on site include a grassed driving range,
well-stocked pro shop, 6-hole par-3 short course
and lessons with a PGA professional.