Cove Harbour, Cockburnspath
Drive south on the A1 and at some point past Torness Power station but before Cockburnspath, you will casually slip out of East Lothian and stumble into the mystical realms of the Scottish Borders. It is around this point that you will reach a fairly non-discript roundabout with a left hand turn quite inauspiciously labelled ‘Cove’. If you didn’t know, you would never guess that if you take this turn off, and then your first left, not even a mile down a short, single track, dead-end road lies undoubtably one of the most amazing hidden-gems in this part of the world!
The road ends at a small but obvious car park on the right, to your left lie coastal cliffs overlooking breaking waves. There is nowhere else to go by car so park up here. Cross the road on foot and you will find yourself standing at a fascinatingly intricate bronze statue depicting a number of women and children, windswept and gazing out to sea. The attached plaque details that this commemorates the 189 Berwickshire fishermen who died in the fishing disaster of 1881. It really is a stunning tribute and absolutely worth a few minutes of your time.. before your attention inevitably turns to the clifftop view of the crashing waves, and the extended view out to the horizon...
Just to your right is a small gate, and through it a path that carves its way down and out along the headland on your right. Head down this well-maintained track admiring the natural rock formations below and you will shortly arrive at your destination, the quirkiest and most unexpected of features- a dark, perfectly round tunnel carved straight through the side of the cliff! Head through the tunnel, it is not overly long and as you emerge out of the other end a sort of metal ‘cage’ frames your first view of Cove bay and its quirky little fishing harbour. It is not a view you will easily forget.
The entrance to the tunnel…
And the exit.
We have come here on several occasions, and have always found it to be quiet with few people milling around, so much so that it is will trepidation that I am adding this one to the website- I almost want to keep it all to myself. Please do me a favour and leave no trace if you do come here, it feels unspoilt and I really do hope it stays that way forever.
The two beachside buildings- you can hire that little blue one!
I am not going to be able to do this little place justice with my words and photographs but I will give it a try nonetheless... Nestled into vast rocky hillside to your right a small, quaint, bright blue ‘hut’ with its own windy path to the beach- you can actually stay here, I believe it is an Air B&B or similar, and just beyond that, an old dilapidated farmhouse style house in an ancient, once gated garden, which appears at first glance unloved and abandoned, and yet furniture at the sand-scratched windows suggest possibly still visited, if not lived in. A house, I am sure, with many a tale to tell! Down to the short sandy beach, an absolute treasture-trove for beach-combers and adventurous kids, the old harbour walls, and protruding rocky features inviting the little ‘climbers’ of your team. To your left, up above the harbour and at the end of the headland, the old harbourmasters cottage can be reached by a very sketchy old staircase carved into the rock and makes for a wonderful insta-worthy photograph. We have encountered the old harbour-master himself, every bit as rugged and sea-salted as you would imagine, complete with collie dog and yellow wellies. But, before you reach that staircase, under the entrance to the tunnel, are a couple of awesome ‘smugglers caves’ to explore. Over the years the soft, sandy stone has been carved with a thousand names of those who have visited them, and somehow this actually adds to their aesthetic appeal. The walls have been smoothed out by a thousand bums(!) and you can place a small child on a shoulder-height ledge inside to look out and survey the world through a small, rocky arch. Outside these caves, the beach edge of the harbour is littered with a fascinating selection of old metal, huge, ancient chains attached to who-knows-what, and random bits of engine now embedded into the rock. Cove really is the gift that keeps on giving!
A couple of smaller caves
Looking out from the biggest cave
The harbourmasters cottage
Spend a few hours here, bring a picnic and enjoy the peace. Explore every nook and cranny and TAKE ALL OF YOUR LITTER HOME. If you do brave those steps up to the harbourmasters house (my grumpy Springador refused to go up them, and is too heavy a lump to carry!) you can walk back up to main path without returning through the tunnel. Please don’t tell too many people about this true hidden gem eh, lets just keep it between us...!