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About Dunbar Harbour

Dunbar Harbour

Situated at the mouth of the Firth of Forth Dunbar is one of East Lothian's most beautiful & popular seaside towns, it is known nationally & internationally as the birthplace of John Muir, renowned naturalist & conservationist.

Dunbar is located 30 miles east of Edinburgh and approximately 30 miles north of Berwick upon Tweed with good bus and train links both north to the Capital and South to Newcastle and beyond.

Dunbar features historic buildings, spectacular landscapes and rugged coastlines and around the harbours are attractive former warehouses and granaries.

A town of three harbours, Dunbar was once a major herring and whaling port.Its old harbour dates from the 17th century. Dunbar Harbour is a busy working harbour with a commercial fleet landing mainly shellfish. The harbour is also home to one of the largest lifeboat stations in the area and there is a thriving Sailing Club and a Coastal Rowing Club as well as attracting many diving clubs to enjoy the seas around Dunbar.

Facilities

Meeting rooms

Dunbar Harbour Trust have a meeting room available at McArthur’s Store, the fishermen's store building at Cromwell Harbour.

Pleasure Yachts

Pleasure yachts are welcome to visit the harbour. Read our instructions how to enter the harbour.

Water and Fuel

We have water points and power sockets available for visiting boats. There is a slipway for launching.
Fuel can be provided by can or direct into boats.

Dunbar Coastal Rowing Club host a Viking Raid

Eight skiffs rowed out of the harbour on a sunny Saturday with their boats looking like long ships and their crews dressed as Vikings.They successfully ‘raided’ Tyninghame beach before returning to the harbour.

A Good Sport

Avril Anderson, riding in her first Cycle Sportive won the 50 mile race out of Hawick in just over 3 hours. Avril looks after the harbour accounts for us each week.

Flooded Trawler

Both of Eyemouth's RNLI lifeboats were called out to the Dunbar-based May Queen trawler which was moored in Eyemouth harbour & developed a severe list causing sea water to pour in on the rising tide and flood the vessel. The vessel was made safe and pollution booms put in place. At high tide, the vessel was towed upright and water removed from the trawler with two salvage pumps.

August Events at Dunbar Battery

Ricciotti Ensemble perform to a packed house

The 40 young musicians of the Ricciotti Ensemble brought their unique brand of fun and energetic performance to a packed house at Dunbar Battery

Sparkling Dunbar Music Festival

Dunbar Battery saw 300/400 people enjoy a variety of music and craft stalls.The outdoor amphitheatre hosted live performances from local bands & musicians. Many thanks to all who supported the event and to Taylor Wimpey for their sponsorship

Water Sports

Kayaking

Kayaking on the sea is gaining in popularity and the beaches and reefs in East Lothian provide excellent conditions. Sea kayaking can give you a wonderful sense of exploration and adventure

Paddle Boarding

Stand Up Paddling feels as though you are gliding, or “the closest thing to walking on water”. Literally standing upright and on the top of the SUP board, the gentle activity allows a small group to move quietly across the water.

Diving

Diving off Scotland's South East coast has been described as world class with a huge variety of ship wrecks and underwater cliff dives in and around the Forth, Bass Rock and the Isle of May!

Sailing

Both local and visiting yachtsmen alike can be assured of a warm welcome from members of the friendly and informal Dunbar Sailing Club. The scenic harbour of Dunbar is popular with visiting yachts from far afield and close to home. .

Coastal Rowing

Dunbar Coastal Rowing Club was established in 2010, to offer traditional rowing skills to the Dunbar and surrounding communities. The club currently has two St Ayles skiffs, The Volunteer and Black Agnes, which were built by club members.

Surfing

Dunbar plays host to some of the best surfable waves in the area, with local surfers having surfed wave faces as big as 12ft. Local surf lessons take place at Belhaven bay, the closest consistently surfed beach to Edinburgh and Glasgow.