Musselburgh Beach

The beach at Musselburgh is a proper stretch of Scottish sand, the kind that catches you off guard if you're expecting windswept pebbles. It's wide, it's clean, and when the light's right - which happens more often than you'd think - it's genuinely lovely. You get a decent view across the Firth of Forth toward the coast beyond, and on clear days that really counts for something.

Walking the length of it takes maybe half an hour unless you're the type who stops to collect shells and hunt for sea glass. The promenade runs behind the beach with a few cafes and takeaways, nothing fancy but exactly what you need if you've got kids getting peckish. The whole thing works well as a morning or late afternoon stop - midday can feel a bit ordinary when the sun's high and there's nowhere to hide from it.

Families will find it straightforward: good for paddling, building sandcastles, burning off energy. Older kids might get bored within an hour unless they're genuinely keen on the sea. If you're staying at Drummohr Camping & Glamping Site just 2.4 miles away, this is an easy evening trip. Haven Seton Sands Holiday Village, a bit further out, also makes Musselburgh Beach a natural nearby option. It's free, it's accessible, and it fits tidily into an East Lothian holiday without dominating your itinerary. Not life-changing, but solid.