North Berwick has recently been announced as The Sunday Times Best Place to Live 2024. The Scottish seaside town is located in East Lothian on the south shore of the Firth of Forth, around 20 miles from Edinburgh. It’s been a popular tourist destination for a while but has grown in popularity as a place to put down roots in recent years.
A small town with around 8,000 residents, North Berwick offers a quieter way of life with a close-knit and welcoming community feel. As a leading North Berwick removals company, we explore just some of the reasons why it won best place to live in the UK.
Stunning beaches
One of the biggest draws of North Berwick is the stunning golden beaches. The main stretch of coastline, North Berwick West Beach, offers fantastic views of the Craigleith islands and Bass Rock. Just outside of North Berwick is Seacliff Beach, another stretch of golden sand that’s often quieter than the main beach and can be ideal if you want to get away from the crowds.
The North Berwick beaches are well-kept and popular for all kinds of activities, from picnics and sunbathing to dog-walking and water sports.
Outstanding golfing
Golf has been played in the area since the 17th century, and there are two main golf courses in the town – North Berwick Golf Club and Glen Golf Course. There’s also West Links Putting Green opposite West Bay Beach, which is open throughout the summer months and perfect for practicing your short game.
Both North Berwick Golf Club and Glen Golf Course are highly regarded. North Berwick Golf Club offers beautiful views over the Firth of Forth and has an 18-hole course, plus a 9-hole “wee” course. Glen Golf Course also has gorgeous views over the coast and has 18 holes. It’s suitable for all abilities with a challenging but fair offering.
Thriving small businesses
North Berwick has numerous independent businesses and a close-knit community that comes together to support and grow them. Along the High Street, you can find all kinds of independent shops and eateries, including a traditional sweet shop, fashion boutiques, cosy cafes and much more.
So much so is North Berwick focused on supporting small businesses, that the High Street also includes Why Not, an organisation dedicated to start-ups. Here, you’ll find over 30 independent retailers all under one roof, showing their art, food, textiles, jewellery and more. Why Not offers smaller businesses a platform to start and grow their customer base. Many businesses that start in Why Not go on to find their own premises and thrive in the town under their own banner.
Connection to nature
As a small town, North Berwick has retained its connection to nature, in the beaches and the countryside that border the town and with plenty of open green spaces within the town itself. There are numerous hiking and walking opportunities around the town, including The Law, a popular hill for hiking and dog walking that gives panoramic views of the town and countryside.
The town is also home to the Scottish Seabird Centre, located on the harbour. This is a marine conservation charity with an award-winning visitor centre, aiming to support local wildlife. It features an education programme to inspire and engage people of all ages to learn about and care for Scottish wildlife, plus wildlife boat trips to get out and observe seabirds and marine wildlife.
Good transport links
North Berwick has its own railway station in town, with services to Edinburgh that take just 33 minutes. There is a service to Edinburgh every hour with additional trains at peak times and on Saturdays, making commuting or travelling to the city for leisure a breeze.
Edinburgh Airport is a 45-minute drive away or around an hour and 20 minutes via public transport, so international travel is also simple from North Berwick. For more local travel, the town is well-served with buses, linking the town itself and also with services going further afield, including to Edinburgh.
Great schools
North Berwick has one primary school and one secondary school within the town. Law Primary School was rated satisfactory on the recent report from Education Scotland, and has a pupil to teacher ratio of 17.7.
North Berwick High School is a co-educational state school, offering education to students aged 11 to 18. It was rated as very good in the latest Education Scotland report and has a pupil to teacher ratio of 13 to 5. The school has a good academic record and many extra-curricular activities on offer.
Moving to North Berwick?
Britannia Edinburgh is your local North Berwick removals company, offering reliable and professional removals in the area. Whether you’re moving locally, nationally or internationally, we can help with streamlined and tailored removals services.
Contact the team at Britannia Edinburgh on 0131 528 6486 or email sales@britanniaedinburghmovers.com, or alternatively you can get a removals quote for an idea of the cost.
