Aberlady Caravan Park

The salt tang carries across from Aberlady Bay before you've even pitched, mingling with the cry of curlews wheeling over the mudflats.

This is proper East Lothian coast — the kind of spot that suits families who want a beach day without the fuss, couples chasing quiet shoreline walks, or anyone using Edinburgh as base camp while keeping a tent between them and the city. You're a stone's throw from one of Scotland's best nature reserves, all dunes and wading birds, and the region's golf-famous if that's your thing. Tents, campervans and caravans all welcome, and the fact it's open year-round means you can have those moody winter coast mornings to yourself.

Facilities are straightforward — hot showers and clean toilets — and campfires are worth asking about when you arrive. The vibe here is unpretentious and coastal: big skies, good air, the kind of place where you fall asleep to the sound of wind in the guy ropes and wake to oystercatchers nattering on the foreshore.