North Berwick Law

A conical hill of volcanic basalt rising 187 metres straight out of the East Lothian plain, the Law is the landmark visible from miles away. The climb from the south edge of town takes about 30 minutes on a clear path and is the most rewarding short walk in the area. The summit gives a 360-degree view: the Firth of Forth and Fife coast to the north, the Bass Rock and Tantallon to the east, the Pentland Hills and Edinburgh to the west.

A replica whale jawbone arch stands at the top, replacing a sequence of real jawbones that have framed the view since the 18th century. The walk down the north side passes through gorse and back into town near the harbour.

things to do sight
A story
The summit was crowned with the actual jawbone of a whale from the 18th century until 2005, when the original (a sperm whale jaw from the 1930s) finally rotted away. It has now been replaced with a fibreglass replica that, like its predecessors for 300 years, frames the view across the Firth of Forth. The hill was also a Napoleonic-war lookout post; the ruined stone tower at the top is what remains.