East Lothian combines a long sandy coast on the Firth of Forth with the open farmland of the Lothian plain and the Lammermuir Hills to the south. It is mostly gentle walking, with some of the best coastal paths in eastern Scotland.

The coast. The John Muir Way runs along the shore for much of the county, passing the dunes and bay at Gullane and Aberlady and the red cliffs near Dunbar. Aberlady Bay is a Local Nature Reserve with wide mudflats and plenty of birds, and the Dunbar to Barns Ness coastal path passes the lighthouse and limestone shore.

North Berwick and the Law. North Berwick has a harbour, beaches and views of the Bass Rock, and a short path climbs North Berwick Law, a volcanic cone with views across the Forth. Tantallon Castle stands on the cliffs a few miles east.

Inland. Traprain Law, near Haddington, is another volcanic hill with a short climb and good views, while Gifford and the Lammermuirs give quieter moorland walking.

Coastal paths can be exposed to wind, and the shore at Aberlady is tidal, so check the weather and tide times.