Whitekirk Hill, Whitekirk

When we first started exploring Whitekirk, it had not long ceased to be an active golf course. There were no facilities open to the public and very few people knew that it was now essentially open to explore. It was the very definition of a hidden gem. A secret location with an air of abandonment, like exploring an old derelict building... everything was overgrown without any mown pathways or greens, but all of the paraphernalia of the golf course still in place- signage and benches could be discovered (or tripped over!) slowly being reclaimed by nature, easily fallen-into bunkers only recognisable for the difference in weedy vegetation growing inside them. We rarely bumped into another soul, or left without a golf ball or two, discovered somewhere from the now all-encompassing ‘rough’. I wanted this magical place to remain our little secret forever...

However, as with all things like this eventually... that was destined not to be the case.

The golf course was sold and the old clubhouse has now been turned into a luxury resort featuring a cafe/bistro, gym, swimming pool, spa, and even a soft play centre for smaller children. A few high end glamping pods have been also built in the grounds . This is all very posh and luxurious, and the buildings look architecturally beautiful. We frequent the soft play on a fairly regular basis, and recently this been expanded to include some outdoor play activities which is a massive plus for me- it is a great place for parents to try and grab a cup of tea and a chat in peace being a lot smaller and less chaotic than many of the other soft-plays I have discovered locally throughout my decade of parenting (could probably create a website based on that alone to be honest!).

What is especially wonderful about Whitekirk Hill (as it is now officially named), is that the vast majority of the golf course has been left as it is. Obviously it now lacks the sense of rugged adventure that it used to have, but it is undoubtedly far more accessible and safer for exploring, and is now pretty well-used for dog-walking and family adventures. There is absolutely loads of free car parking in big stone-chipped carparks, routed paths are mown and well-maintained, signposted with coloured stakes- there is even a designated bike-trail around the grounds and several tasteful picnic benches set up at strategic locations.

What has obviously not changed at all is the stunning site that Whitekirk Hill has always occupied. As the name suggests, the golf course is high up above the tiny village of Whitekirk, on rolling hills overlooking the wonderful expanse of agricultural East Lothian Countryside that fills the vast space between North Berwick and Haddington. The walks here are not particularly demanding but they are undulating, and at the top of the peaks, on a clear day, you can easily see the whole stretch of coastline as far as Torness Power Station. We came here recently, the day after storm Babet wreacked havoc on East Lothian’s coastlines (noteably knocking a large hole in the North Berwick harbour wall!). At this time the seas were still wild, and from our cental vantage point it was some sight watching the huge waves crashing off the bass rock, completely battering the poor, exposed lighthouse!

Views out to the coast- Bass Rock to right of the horizon

Given that there is there is a small map at the bottom of the carpark listing all of the newly designed walking trails that wind around the golf course, there is no need for me to go into great detail documenting each of these possible walking routes- just turn up and explore as you will. My standard dog walk usually starts with an immediate right hand turn once you have crossed the road to the golf course from the car park, continuing in this direction until you reach a small patch of woodland – I like to ramble down the path that leads through the woods, although you can easily avoid this if you would rather skirt it (it is fairly steep downhill, with a lot of fox holes and the ground is soft and uneven so do take care). Take a left once you exit the woodland and you will arrive at a large open area with a picnic table and picuresque pond on your right, often frequented with swans and ducks, and multiple path options to follow from here. The further down you go (past the pond) the longer the walk, but all paths eventually lead you back towards the carpark in a sort of loop. The longest loop will see you pass another pond, and offers an alternative route of escape from the golf course- either into the village of Whitekirk if you turn left (there is a small gate right next to the second pond), or back towards North Berwick via a very scenic off-road section called ‘Becky’s Strip’ which you can eventually link up to the John Muir Way- I will cover this in greater detail in a separate post.

The path leading to the entrance to the woods…

A flooded bunker on one of the paths looping back towards the car-park

The ‘outer perimeter’ path leading back to the car park

A ‘service road’ path that runs through the course (on a hot day!)

If you have the time and the adventurous inclination though, I would personally recommend that you go ‘off-piste' and explore some of the more overgrown areas that cover the hills, and are patched with gorse bushes and punctuated with grey stone- there are plenty of bouldering spots for adventurous kiddies and if you can find it- there is even a trig point marking the official summit of ‘Whitekirk Hill’ (I wont tell you how to find it, but safe to say it is well off the beaten track- surely that is part of the fun!). My personal favourite spot is an old hexagonal bench, a throwback to the golf course days, again to be found on one of the higher, overgrown spots- it is well worth the risk of a tic bite though(!) as I think it is probably the one spot where the views are the best (again, you will need to find this one yourself but my clue is that it is pretty much in the middle of the site)...

We have had many adventures at this one-of-a-kind wee place, one day in mid summer you couldn’t move for ladybirds which my kiddies vainly attempted to collect as little ‘pets’ (they always manage to fly away!), another time in winter, after a disappointingly light snow shower we bought a sledge here and discovered that you really don’t need very much snow to have the very best time sledging! I also had an unfortunate encounter with an injured deer which required a phonecall to the SSPCA, a memorable experience for the wrong reasons.... We have barrel-rolled down hills in the long meadow grass, made dens in the woods and slid on our knees down a long makeshift slippy-slide of mud!

So, Whitekirk Hill might not be such a ‘hidden’ gem any more, but a gem it absolutely still is, and there is plenty of treasure left here to discover! You can easily do a short circuit in 15mins, or you could spend a full day here, meandering the paths, appreciating the peace and marvelling at the nature all around you- I have seen deer, foxes, more ladybirds and caterpillars than I could count, kestrals, sky larks, hares, cows(!), swans, geese, ducks, dragonflies... It really is a magical place quite unlike any other in East Lothian. And despite it’s new-found accessibility and reputation, I have never found the course overly busy with walkers- I can quite often still find complete solitude here. It is exposed so dress for the weather, bring the kids, and the dogs, and Grannie and Grandpa- this is one for the whole family. And get yourself a cuppa from the cafe after your walk, I am certain that you will be back!

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