The day we took the train

In the second part of our series looking at how you can get around Scotland by train, Mark Nicholls plots a rail tour from Edinburgh

Edinburgh has so many wonderful sights that it is tempting to soak them all up, at the expense of the surrounding area.

But taking time to visit what lies a few miles beyond Scotland's capital can help put the city itself into a clearer context.

Letting the train dictate the destination and the pace can be fun, taking the tracks out east to North Berwick and Dunbar, west to Linlithgow and north to Dunfermline.

Using First ScotRail train services you can visit some of the most famous spots in the vicinity of the capital. First Scotrail is also offering allinclusive travel and entry packages to some of Scotland's main tourist attractions, with details listed on its website.

Edinburgh is a strong base to explore the area by train. Heading out east will take you to North Berwick and the unforgettable wildlife experience of the Scottish Seabird Centre.

The centre stands on a rocky outcrop at North Berwick Harbour, overlooking the islands of the Firth of Forth and sandy beaches of East Lothian.

Visitors can see an amazing diversity of birds from the 100,000 Atlantic gannets that return to the same mate and the same nest on the Bass Rock every year to puffins, guillemots, shags, kittiwakes and a whole range of other seabirds.

You can also see grey seals with the newborn pups and if you are lucky, a bottlenose dolphin.

The site is a world leader in remote wildlife viewing and with cameras located on the wildlife rich islands, visitors can pan and zoom to see the tiniest detai...

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• By : Mark Nicholls
• In : Travel
• Issue : 28
• Page : 52
• Words : 960