Travel Information

Planning your trip to Dunbar starts with travel, not just how to reach our beautiful town but also how to travel around the town and to its many attractions. It also raises an important question of how to travel and below we have listed all the options for your trip to Dunbar starting with greener more sustainable public transport choices. In November this year Scotland hosts the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) to Glasgow and this seems a good opportunity to challenge our travel choices and consider opting for a lower carbon method by choosing public transport for longer journeys as well as walking or cycling options for shorter trips. Reduce emissions and your carbon footprint and make your personal contribution to climate change targets.

Find out more about some of the projects in Dunbar working towards a more sustainable town:

Sustainable Dunbar
Miixer
The Ridge

Train

One of the most locally appreciated and yet relatively unknown facts about Dunbar is that it is located on the main East Coast railway line making travel to and from almost anywhere in the country effortless.

Dunbar is a regular stop on the East Coast mainline with trains coming north from London and the east coast of England and as far afield as Penzance in Cornwall. From Dunbar it is only a short 20 - 25 minute ride into Edinburgh where trains from Waverley Station connect to all parts of Scotland. “Sit back, let the train take the strain”.

Plan your journey here:

thetrainline.com
scotrail.co.uk
lner.co.uk

Please note that if you are bringing your own bike please check whether you need to book it on board in advance of travel. It is not possible to bring surf boards by train but Coast to Coast Surf School hire boards (and wetsuits) from their base at Belhaven Beach.

c2csurfschool.com

Bus

Travelling by bus to Dunbar is just as easy with services from Edinburgh and Berwick (both just 30 miles away) provided by First Group and East Coast Buses. The bus journey is just under an hour from both cities.

For all bus travel timetables in Scotland travelinescotland.com

Borders Buses run a service (number 253) between Edinburgh and Berwick Upon Tweed which stops just beside the Dolphin Inn.

Travelling around Dunbar and East Lothian is easy using Borders Buses via North Berwick (number 253) and East Coast Buses via Haddington (no X7).

Getting around the local area is also easy with additional services provided by local bus company Eve Coaches.

eastcoastbuses.co.uk
bordersbuses.co.uk
eveinfo.co.uk

If you are a group booking it may be worth investigating coach and taxi hire ahead of travel. Eve Coaches has a full range of coaches of all sizes and Torrance Taxis have a range of smaller vehicles and minibuses. They can also arrange airport transfers and golf transport.

eveinfo.co.uk
torrancetaxisandtravel.co.uk

Car

Dunbar is located just off the A1 which travels south from Edinburgh towards the England border onto north London where it joins the M1. The Dolphin Inn does not have any private parking although there is some limited on-street parking nearby.

Car parks and parking spaces are limited in Dunbar so we would encourage public transport if that is possible. Parking is available at the nearby railway station (£4 per day / £2 off peak). Electric car charging points (x 4) are within a few minutes at the Abbeylands Car Park by the High Street. They are operated by Chargeplace Scotland: chargeplacescotland.org

If you are a member of the Co Wheels Car Club there are two cars located in Dunbar at the railway Station. Charges are from £4.75 per hour or £33.25 per day plus mileage.

Taxi

Travelling around Dunbar and East Lothian is also possible by taxi with a number of companies operating in the town. They can also arrange airport transfers and group travel.

Torrance Taxis and Travel
They have mini buses for hire.
Visit torrancetaxisandtravel.co.uk
Call 01368 862612
WB Taxis
Visit wbtaxis.co.uk
Call 01368 862333 or 07585 330129
Redline Cabs
Call 01368 864640
Dunbar Taxis
Call 01368459285

Bicycle

Dunbar is an ideal place for cycling being relatively flat and with most attractions within a short cycle ride and a generous number of bike racks in the town. Known as Sunny Dunny the weather is also pretty reliably dry which helps! Just to the south of Dunbar are the Lammermuir Hlls should you be looking for some steeper climbs.

The Dolphin Inn has a dedicated courtyard for cyclists with secure covered storage (monitored by CCTV), an outdoor tap and designated cleaning area. If you are travelling by e-bike we can help with charging via the laundry room.

Prebook Bike Hire:

Travel to Dunbar by bus or train and book cycle hire with Belhaven Bikes who will deliver your bikes to the Dolphin Inn ready for you to use. They also have a range of e-bikes for hire and can help with repairs and parts if needed.

Visit belhavenbikes.co.uk/hire/
Call 01368 860300

The Dolphin also has a very limited number of bikes available for short term use. These need to be signed out at reception and we provide helmets and locks.

For cycling trips from Dunbar we have a number of maps at reception, for longer trips try the popular Coast and Castles route between Newcastle and Edinburgh and the John Muir Way (134 miles) from Helensburgh to Dunbar.

coast-and-castles.co.uk
johnmuirway.org

More cycling route suggestions can be found here: belhavenbikes.co.uk/links/

Walking

Leaving the car at home and travelling by public transport to Dunbar does not disadvantage guests in any way.The good news is that Dunbar is relatively flat so it is very easy to walk around the town and many of the attractions are a manageable walk away. The climate is very dry and sunny much of the time so walks are not often spoilt by a rain shower. For those attractions a little further afield there are convenient bus and taxi services. Keen walkers can walk to Dunbar from Edinburgh or North Berwick on sections 8 to 10 of the John Muir Way which actually begins 134 miles away in Helensburgh on the west coast.


johnmuirway.org