Milsey Bay
About
The beach east of the harbour, signposted as Milsey Bay and called the East Bay by pretty much everyone who lives here. A long crescent of pale sand backed by the Victorian seafront terraces of Melbourne Road, with dark igneous rock outcrops at either end and the Bass Rock sitting out beyond. It is the bigger, more open of the two town beaches and the one with the outdoor swimming crowd, the dog walkers and the winter beach-walk regulars. There are beach huts at the West Bay end of town rather than here. The rocks and pools at the east end cover fast on a rising tide, so read the water before you wander out.
Photos
Highlights
- ✓The clearest shore view of the Bass Rock in the town
- ✓Rock pools at both ends at low tide
- ✓A short walk from the High Street and the station
- ✓Open and walkable in winter when everything else has closed
Tips
- →Check the tide before exploring the rocks at either end; the outcrops here cut off on a rising tide.
- →The sea is cold all year. Anything longer than a dip wants a wetsuit.
- →Parking on Melbourne Road and the surrounding streets is inside the town's controlled parking zone since June 2026. Enter your registration at the machine even if you are within a free period.
- →The car park by Milsey Bay is small; the train station is a ten minute walk away and avoids the problem entirely.
Best Season
More Outdoors Activities
West Bay
The sheltered beach west of the harbour, with the beach huts, the Rotary Way path and the best view of the town under the Law.
North Berwick Harbour
A small working harbour between the two beaches, with the lifeboat station, the seafood shacks and the ruins of St Andrew's Old Kirk above it.