Travel; Room at Ducks, Aberlady Bay

For keen members of my school’s birdwatching club − such as I − Aberlady Bay in East Lothian was the ornithological location that just had to be visited each year.

The memories are somewhat mixed though, and certainly most vivid in my mind are the cold and rainy winter days huddled on Gullane Point gazing at distant dark objects bobbing in storm tossed seas. Trying to identify the black sea ducks through trembling binoculars was no easy task. They were scoters, or perhaps scaup, but then the scrutinising lenses would be splattered with another sweep of raindrops and the birds would disappear into a rheumy blur.

But then, of course, there were the more benign days, such as in the spring when there were nesting lapwings and the air was filled with the raucous cries of terns fishing in the shallow waters of the bay. This was more like it and brought a salient reminder as to why Aberlady Bay is widely regarded as one of Scotland’s top birdwatching destinations.

It had been more than 15 years since I last visited Aberlady and I was glad to have the chance to reacquaint myself with the area again as part of a weekend break at Ducks at Kilspindie House which is run by well-known restaurateur Malcolm Duck, who likes to describe his Aberlady establishment as a “restaurant with rooms”.

It is hard to think of a better situation for a hotel, given its picturesque location close to Gullane, North Berwick, and of course, Edinburgh. There are 19 golf courses within 15 minutes of Ducks (including the famous Muirfield) and for the wildlife enthusiast there is nearby Aberlady Bay, as well as the Scottish Seabird Centre in North Berwick, where there is the opportunity to take boat trips around the Bass Rock and other islands to witness the teeming seabirds.

For our evening meal, we had the choice of either Ducks restaurant, which offers a fine-dining, seasonal à la carte menu, or Donald’s, which serves bistro-style food. We chose the former and the food was very good.

Being a bit of a birdie geek, our first port of call was the Scottish Seabird Centre at North Berwick. Scotland holds internationally important numbers of breeding seabirds and it is entirely fitting that the centre was established in recognition of this fact, taking advantage of the proximity of the Bass Rock and its huge gannet colony. As we toured the centre we had the first pangs of guilt that we hadn’t taken our children because it is very well laid out with numerous interactive displays providing plenty of interest. The live cameras are particularly good, beaming back pictures of nesting gannets and other seabirds. Enthused by our visit we then had a wander through North Berwick, stopping off for tea and scones at Tiffany’s Tearoom in the High Street, by which stage the children were no more than a distant memory again.

The following day we visited a blustery Aberlady Bay and took a bracing walk out to Gullane Point. It is a marvellous place for birds and we saw a wide variety of species including sanderlings newly arrived from the Arctic. The reserve is particularly good for its flora and we spotted the stunning white flowers of Grass-of-Parnassus, as well as pink flowering water mint. There are also numerous stands of sea buckthorn – a spiny shrub that is only locally found in Scotland. For the bird enthusiast, a visit to nearby Waterston House, the headquarters of the Scottish Ornithologists’ Club, is a must. The centre offers panoramic views of Aberlady Bay and its library houses the largest collection of ornithological reference books and journals in Scotland.

the facts Room at Ducks (01875 870682, www.ducks.co.uk) start at £115 for doubles/twin, including breakfast. Dinner B&B is £140 (dining at Donald’s) and £160 (dining at Ducks). A dine and stay offer has rooms at £60 for two including breakfast if you eat in Ducks à la carte.