How to spend your time in East Lothian + the Scottish Borders
Filing under: great day trips from Edinburgh
I’ve a special place in my heart for this corner of Scotland. It’s where I grew up and most of my hazy memories of early childhood are of chilly summer holiday trips to Yellowcraigs Beach and sledding in the Lammermuir Hills. It’s been amazing to see the food scene in particular develop in recent years - you no longer need to travel up to the ‘dazzling’ lights of Edinburgh to have a special meal and you definitely don’t need to drive for ages to find a good coffee and bakery. Here’s my picks for what to get up to in East Lothian & The Scottish Borders:
Eat + Drink
A gorgeous scandi-design, pared back restaurant within walking distance of Melrose. Michelin recommended too no less!
JP’s American Smokehouse, Duns
I found myself ravenously hungry in Duns after scouting a nearby historic country house and was hoping to find nothing more than a simple tuna melt (don’t @ me, hot tuna and cheese is delicious) or equivalent at a local caf. Right in that moment, almost like a mirage, through a plume of smoke by the side of the road I saw a tiny mobile smoker advertising freshly made American-style smoked chicken pieces. I couldn’t even wait long enough to take a proper photo before devouring the 4 pieces in about 2 seconds flat. I still think about that chicken most days. INCREDIBLE.
Bostock Bakery, East Linton + North Berwick
The reason I could see myself living in East Linton someday (yes, the Rightmove alerts are on!). A great selection of sweets and bakes alongside bread and savoury pastries. Keep an eye out for their Friday pizza nights too.
Wilson’s Farm & Kitchen, nr Kelso
You should know by now we love a farm to fork experience here at Eat in Everywhere. They have a calendar of events including their 25 mile BBQ and roast dinners where all ingredients are from the farm itself or within a — you guessed it — 25 mile radius.