A weekend break in North Berwick is the best medicine in winter. On the 25th of January, Burns Night, think cozy pubs, delicious seafood and breathtaking coastal scenery.
How was your Blue Monday? That supposed ‘most depressing day of the year’ invented by a travel company in the early noughties. A band wagon jumped on by academics who then back tracked.
Instead of ending the month succumbing to the January blues, chase them away with a Burns weekend at Harbour Haven.
Sure, you could go to Ayrshire, Burns’ birthplace on the west coast of Scotland. But those rain-bearing depressions which make it rain more in the west coast of Scotland than the east coast won’t help you’re January Blues.
Here are five reasons to click on this link and book a Burns Weekend at Harbour Haven.
Friday: Driving? Harbour Haven has private parking. Once you’ve unpacked, take a short stroll to the Auld Hoose or the Shipp Inn, perfect spots to enjoy an early evening dram. Raise a glass to the Bard with the locals and enjoy some pub grub. Maybe skip the tales of Tam o’Shanter – he wasn’t exactly a modern-day role model! Don’t feel like pub grub? Then head to one of the many restaurants on the High Street. Might be worth having a Google first and making a reservation.
Saturday morning: Go on, take the plunge! North Berwick boasts a thriving wild swimming community. End the month by telling the world – and Instagram – that you beat the January Blues with a dip in the water. Head back to Harbour Haven for a warm shower and a warming hot chocolate.
Saturday afternoon: Grab a coffee at Steam Punk and take a stroll down one, or both, of North Berwick’s sandy beaches.
Harbour Haven is a few minutes’ walk from, yes, you got it, the harbour. There, you’ll find the amazing Lobster Shack a fully licensed eatery where you can enjoy a cold beer, a crisp glass of wine or even prosecco along with your lobster or fish and chips. You can eat-in shack style. Just wrap up. Too cold at the Shack? Pick up the ingredients for an afternoon Whiskey Sour, the perfect accompaniment to lobster and head back to the warmth of Harbour Haven.
Saturday night: Celebrate Scotland’s National Bard by joining the North Berwick Burns Club for a Burns Supper. Expect plenty of kilts, bagpipes, and of course, copious amounts of haggis, neeps and tatties.
Sunday morning: Head to The Drift to enjoy a breakfast roll, and the breath-taking view across the Firth of Forth, Bass Rock and Fife.
Blue Monday is real. A weekend break in North Berwick is only thing that will save you.