Edinburgh is famous for its beauty and features on travel bucket lists around the world as a result.
But Edinburgh’s appeal should not be allowed to overshadow the many attractive villages within easy reach of the city. Across the Lothians, over in Fife and down in the Borders there are many beautiful places to visit. Here are a few you might want to explore.
9. Elie
Elie in Fife - about 1 hour 15 minutes' drive from Edinburgh - is a popular seaside spot, with a harbour, watersports, a golf club - and cricket on the beach. The village's Ship Inn cricket team is the only one in the UK to play their matches on a beach. Over the course of a season they hold regular fixtures against Scottish clubs as well as touring teams from across the world. Photo: Jeff J Mitchell
10. St Abbs
St Abbs is a small fishing village in the Borders, popular with scuba divers because of its clear water. And it saw a surge in tourism after it featured in the 2019 superhero film Avengers: Endgame as the location of New Asgard. St Abbs is just over an hour by car from Edinburgh. Photo: Andrew Thomson
11. Coldstream
Coldstream, on the north bank of the River Tweed, is where Edward I of England invaded Scotland in 1296. It's also home to the Coldstream Guards and the Coldstream bridge, spanning the border over the River Tweed. Nearby places to visit include The Hirsel country park and, over the border, Flodden Field. Coldstream is about 1 hour 15 minutes' drive from Edinburgh. Photo: Neil Hanna
12. Cockburnspath.
Cockburnspath is a village in the Borders, between Dunbar and Eyemouth, popular with surfers because of nearby sandy beach Pease Bay. It's also a hotspot for walkers because it lies at the eastern end of the Southern Upland Way, the long distance footpath across southern Scotland, and a good base for exploring the Borders. It's less than an hour's drive from Edinburgh. Photo: Stuart Cobley