Local Voices

North Berwick has always been a popular seaside and golfing holiday resort in Scotland. Some things have changed over the years, but others haven’t. Jean Crawford, who was born in 1923, tells us how it was when she was a girl.

Whale jawbones stood on the summit of ‘The Law’ since 1709. They were an icon of the town, but in 2005 had to be removed having become rotted and dangerous. In 2008 they were replaced with fibreglass ones, thanks to generous supporters.

Every August, in the harbour area of North Berwick, 10 or more groups in the town make a fun raft, dress in fancy dress and exhaust themselves paddling over the course, trying not to sink en route:

In 2009 The Seabird Centre was awarded the Queen Elizabeth’s Award for Enterprise. Queen Elizabeth accompanied by Prince Philip, came to the town to present the award:

Archie Baird’s ‘history of golf’ is a most enlightening story and he shows that golf did not begin in Scotland, as generally thought, but in Holland, from where it was brought to Scotland by Scottish wool-merchants.

Benjy, a fisherman of North Berwick, is one of the last few lobster-fishermen in the town. This video records how he makes his lobster pots and uses them on his boat to catch these delicacies for local restaurants.

The Marrs were a well known fishing family in North Berwick. Sula was the name of their pleasure boat, which took passengers round the Bass Rock.

Two local volunteers combine to provide large-wheel beach-chairs for children (and others) with special needs at the seaside town of North Berwick. This is bringing enormous fun to those who previously could not enjoy the seashore:

The Law Hill is a steep 400 ft high hill (an extinct volcano) just behind the seaside town of North Berwick in Scotland. Every year, in early August, about 200 runners, young and old start at the harbour a mile away, and run to its summit and back.

The coastline near the seaside resort of North Berwick has a wonderful geological history. The small hill behind the town, called The Law, and the Bass Rock island are both remnants of volcanos. Geologist David McAdam explains the story hidden in the rocks around the town.

With 30,000 gannets on the Bass Rock near North Berwick each summer, it is not surprising that many gannet chicks get separated from their parents and die. As a girl Pat Marr used to look after (and later release back to the sea when grown) the orphaned gannets brought back by her father on his trips to the Bass.

In the early 20th century over 100 golfers, clubmakers and caddies emigrated from North Berwick to the US, Canada, South Africa and Australia and became leading golf professionals. A group from North Berwick honoured 30 of them: