St Abb's Head NNR

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About St Abb's Head NNR

St Abb's Head is a dramatic promontory of sheer volcanic cliffs on the Berwickshire coast, managed jointly by NatureScot, the National Trust for Scotland and the Scottish Wildlife Trust. Its high cliffs and offshore stacks hold one of the largest seabird colonies on the east coast of Scotland, surrounded by flower-rich coastal grassland.

The story of St Abb's Head NNR

The reserve was declared a National Nature Reserve in 1983 and is part of the Berwickshire and North Northumberland Coast Special Area of Conservation. The nearby fishing village of St Abbs, named for the 7th-century Northumbrian princess Æbbe, grew around smuggling and herring fishing, and a coastguard station was built on the headland in the 19th century to combat the illicit trade. St Abb's Head Lighthouse, engineered by the Stevensons and first lit in 1862, stands on the cliff edge within the reserve and was automated in 1993. The headland itself was acquired for the nation in 1980 by the National Trust for Scotland following a public appeal.

Visiting with care

Park at the NTS visitor centre at Northfield Farm and walk the clifftop path to the lighthouse for spectacular guillemot, kittiwake and razorbill colonies. Bring binoculars and a windproof layer, and stay back from unfenced cliff edges; the footpath is closed during the seabird breeding season in places to protect the birds.

Interesting facts

• St Abb's Head was declared a National Nature Reserve in 1983 and is managed by NatureScot, NTS and the Scottish Wildlife Trust.
• The Stevenson-engineered lighthouse was first lit in 1862 and automated in 1993.
• The cliffs hold tens of thousands of breeding guillemots, kittiwakes and razorbills each summer.
• The headland was acquired for the nation by the National Trust for Scotland in 1980 after a public appeal.