Sam
Finding child-friendly walks in East Lothian is always a must when we head to the county. Being an outdoor family and having 2 active dogs it is always nice to go explore new places as a family.
We have been exploring East Lothian a lot more recently and we decided to park at Thorntonloch caravan park and walk along the John Muir Link.
Child Friendly Walks in East Lothian
From the car park, you walk along an unused walk towards Torness Power Station and then follow the coastal path around the outside of the Power Station. The good thing about this walk is that you can turn around and retrace your steps whenever you wish. Skateraw Harbour is probably a good stopping point before returning to the car, especially if you have young kids.
At Skateraw there are public toilets, a car park, picnic benches and of course the beach. This is why it is a good place to stop for a break. Let the kids run free and stretch their legs. Being outdoors has so many health benefits and being by the sea just makes it even more of an experience.
We continued on further to try and make it to Barns Ness Lighthouse, however, my youngest was starting to get tired so we decided to return after stopping for lunch pretty much in the middle of Skateraw and the lighthouse (Dry Burn).
Footwear
I always wear hiking boots when out on longer family walks as I like to know my ankles are protected. You could possibly wear trainers, however, I would push for a comfy pair of walking boots and socks.
Bridge Crossing
After Skatelaw there is a bridge to cross. If you have dogs or don’t like see-through bridges then you might not like this bridge. It is a metal mesh type floor that you can see straight through. Rather daunting. Luckily there is a thin solid bit of metal on one side to get across. My dogs really didn’t like this bridge which is why I thought I’d mention it.
Pram Friendly
I would say only parts of the route are pram friendly (from Thortonloch to the end of the Torness Power Station Coastal path section. So I would probably advise it would be best to take a baby carrier/toddler carrier if needed. Some of the paths are quite narrow and there are some steps to climb up just after the power station.
Overall, this is a lovely family walk in East Lothian. We walked roughly 6 miles in total, so if you did walk further on towards Dunbar then you will be walking much longer. So please keep this in mind.
Have you done any family-friendly walking in East Lothian? Let me know in the comments below so we can go check them out too!
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