Holiday Parks in East Lothian

Picture an early walk across the wide sands of Belhaven Bay, surfers already out on the swell and the dunes behind you, before strolling back to the caravan for breakfast on the decking. That's a normal morning here. East Lothian packs 40 miles of coastline, championship golf, cliff-top ruins and seabird islands into the countryside just east of the capital, and it's one of the sunniest corners of Scotland too.

Dunbar averages around 1,450 hours of sunshine a year.

Below you'll find the holiday parks East Lothian visitors can book with us, from lodges with tubs near Musselburgh to a family caravan park at the foot of the Lammermuir Hills, plus wet-day swims, last minute stays, dog walks and the best months to come.

New to a caravan or lodge break?

You get your own front door, separate bedrooms, a kitchen and outdoor space, with a bar or play park a short walk away on the bigger sites. There's no airport and no luggage limit, so the car can carry the wetsuits, the clubs and the dog's bed.

Which are the best holiday parks East Lothian has to offer?

Location is the big choice. Pick Musselburgh for easy sightseeing trips, Dunbar for a full family park, or the Berwickshire coves just over the border for sand on the doorstep. Drive times below are from Haddington, the county town.

Drummohr Lodges

Musselburgh - about 14 minutes' drive - sleeps up to 4 - hot tubs, pets welcome

Tucked into a secluded corner of the Drummohr Camping and Glamping Site, in what was once the walled garden of a monastery, these luxury lodges have their own bubbling tubs and partial sea views across to Fife. The wider site has touring and camping pitches too. Guests rate it 4.9, and most units take up to two well-behaved dogs for an extra cleaning charge. With the John Muir Way a five-minute walk away and buses and trains into Edinburgh, you can spend the day sightseeing and come back to a soak under the stars.

Thurston Manor

Innerwick, near Dunbar - about 18 minutes' drive - sleeps up to 6 - hot tubs, pets welcome, pool

The big family park of the county has an indoor heated swimming pool, a gym and sauna, a bar and restaurant, an arcade, a woodland discovery trail, a fishing lake and touring pitches. Accommodation runs from caravans with decking to Superior Oak lodges and two glamping units, and dogs are welcome in pet-friendly units, up to three per stay.

Big changes are coming! Verdant Parks starts a £4 million rebuild in early November 2026, adding an 18-metre pool with a children's splash area, nine-hole pirate adventure golf and a covered padel court, all due by Easter 2027. Booking this winter? Ask the staff which facilities are open.

Pease Bay Holiday Park

Cockburnspath - about 24 minutes' drive - sleeps up to 6 - pets welcome, fishing

Step off the park and onto the sand. Pease Bay sits in a sheltered cove just over the border, with direct access to its own sandy beach and some of the best surfing on the east coast close by. Facilities include a restaurant with a takeaway and a dog-friendly area, a lounge bar with Sky Sports, an arcade for fun on wet afternoons and seasonal weekend entertainment. Rated 4.7.

Coldingham Bay Holiday Park

Coldingham - about 35 minutes' drive - sleeps up to 6 - pets welcome

You get 22 acres of landscaped grounds and a peaceful country feel here, with the sands of Coldingham Bay just over a mile away. The Drift Inn serves freshly cooked meals, and children can follow the Discovery Trail.

Mortonhall

South Edinburgh - about 25 minutes' drive - sleeps up to 8 - pets welcome

Want the city and the seaside in one trip? This 200-acre estate sits four miles from the centre, with buses until late evening and views to the Pentland Hills. Wander the arboretum, eat at the Stable Bar and let children loose in the games room.

Thirlestane Woodland Lodges

Lauder - about 32 minutes' drive - sleeps up to 6 - hot tubs, pets welcome

South over the Lammermuirs, these woodland cabins on the Lauderdale Estate look across the Leader Water to Thirlestane Castle, each with a private tub and a shed for bikes. It's a grown-up, relaxing base for walking and cycling.

You'll spot other sites that aren't bookable with us. Seton Sands Holiday Village at Port Seton is a large resort with an indoor pool. Meadowhead runs Tantallon Caravan and Camping Park at North Berwick and Belhaven Bay Caravan and Camping Park inside John Muir Country Park, plus Waren near Bamburgh in Northumberland, and Gilsland Park is a family-run site with glamping cabins and static caravans. Gilsland also sells holiday homes.

Caravan parks in East Lothian with swimming pools

Thurston Manor is the one to book for a swim on site. Elsewhere, try the public pools run by Enjoy Leisure:

• Dunbar Leisure Pool has a wave machine and flumes
• Musselburgh Sports Centre on Newbigging has six lanes, 25 metres long, with a sauna and steam room

Last minute caravan holidays in East Lothian

Got a free few days and a sunny forecast? Late availability comes up all year, and you'll usually find the widest choice outside the Scottish school holidays. Search your dates on our caravan and lodge search, then narrow it down to stays with a private tub or dog-friendly stays.

Three nights is plenty for a beach day, a ruin and a fish supper, and sharing a holiday home with another family keeps the cost down:

Staying near Musselburgh

Musselburgh sits on the western edge of East Lothian, right next door to Portobello. It isn't in West Lothian, which lies on the far side of Edinburgh (see our West Lothian guide for parks there). Drummohr is just two miles from the centre, a handy location for both.

Racing, the Old Links and Fisherrow

Horses have raced here since 1816, with fixtures right through the winter, and the nine-hole Old Links, one of the oldest golf courses anywhere, dates from at least 1672. Afterwards, wander down to Fisherrow, still a working harbour, where the coast path follows the promenade.

Ice cream and easy walks

S. Luca has made ice cream on the High Street since 1908, and you can walk off your cone on the flat River Esk Walkway or at Levenhall, where there's a boating pond and free parking.

Why take your 2026 family break in East Lothian?

It's the mix that wins people over: famous fairways, sandy bays, rocky shores, the city half an hour away and weather that's drier than most of the country.

If you're visiting East Lothian with kids

Children will love the live gannet cameras at the Scottish Seabird Centre and Concorde at the National Museum of Flight, and rockpooling on the East Beach at Dunbar keeps small hands busy for hours. One change for 2026: East Links Family Park closed for good on 31 August after 25 years, so don't plan a day there.

Rainy day ideas

• The hangars at the National Museum of Flight, East Fortune
• Myreton Motor Museum near Aberlady
• The Discovery Experience at the Seabird Centre
• The waves and flumes at the leisure centre

Is East Lothian good for a dog-friendly break?

Very. East Lothian Council lets dogs onto its beaches all year. Nature reserves are the exception, so leave Aberlady Bay to the birds and keep dogs on leads in the Belhaven salt marsh and dunes in spring and summer.

Dog walking ideas

• Yellowcraig: woodland, dunes and sand near Dirleton
• Gullane Bents: a big sandy bay with a viewing platform and toilets
• Longniddry Bents: three kilometres of grassland and dunes, where you're asked to give birds 40 to 50 metres of space
• Belhaven Bay: salt marsh, dunes and wide sands
• Parking charges apply at most coastal car parks

Dining at the park, or heading out

Several parks make it easy to stay put, with a bar and restaurant at Thurston Manor, a takeaway at Pease Bay and The Drift Inn at Coldingham. When you head out, try the fresh local seafood and browse the farm shops, markets and distilleries on Visit East Lothian.

Outdoor family adventures

Foxlake Adventures has wakeboarding and an aqua park in summer, and Belhaven and Pease Bay both draw surfers. The cycling routes along the John Muir Way link most of the villages. For more of the region, browse parks across Scotland or head south to Edinburgh and the Borders.

Family days out in East Lothian

These attractions are an easy drive from every park above, though opening times change with the seasons.

North Berwick Law

This 187-metre volcanic hill rises behind the town, and the climb rewards you with views over the Firth of Forth and a replica whale jawbone at the top. It's free and open all year.

Tantallon Castle

A massive red sandstone curtain wall stands on the cliff edge, looking straight out to the Bass Rock, and kids get a fact-finding quiz. It closed on 15 and 16 October this year, so check the Historic Environment Scotland page before you go.

Scottish Seabird Centre

Wildlife boat trips leave the harbour between late March and early October, from a half-hour catamaran cruise to a landing trip on the Isle of May.

• Where: EH39 4SS, phone 01620 890202
• Good to know: waterproofs aren't provided, and Isle of May trips sell out in early summer, so book ahead at seabird.org

National Museum of Flight

Walk under the wings of Concorde, then explore hangars of civil and military aircraft on the old airfield at East Fortune.

• Opening: daily 10am to 5pm from April to October, Saturdays and Sundays 10am to 4pm from November to March
• Parking: free, and dogs on leads can join you outdoors
• More: plan your visit

John Muir Country Park

Over 700 hectares of salt marsh, woodland, dunes and sand wrap around Belhaven Bay. In town, the naturalist's birthplace tells the story of the local boy who went on to inspire America's national parks.

Dirleton Castle and Myreton Motor Museum

Pair the medieval ruin and its gardens with a run along to Aberlady, where vintage cars fill a small museum that opens daily from March to October.

What to pack

Ready to choose? Book one of the holiday parks East Lothian has close to the shore, and you could be on the sand within minutes.

East Lothian holiday park FAQs

Are there caravan parks in East Lothian with swimming pools?

Yes. Thurston Manor has an indoor heated one, and its rebuild adds an 18-metre pool and a splash area by Easter 2027. Seton Sands at Port Seton has one too.

Which park is closest to Musselburgh?

Drummohr, a camping and glamping site about two miles from the centre, has lodges with private tubs, dogs welcome and the coast path five minutes' walk away.

Can I find last minute caravan holidays in East Lothian?

Often, yes. Search your dates on our site and look outside the Scottish school holidays for the widest choice. Two or three nights is enough to catch a sunny spell.

Are the beaches dog friendly?

East Lothian Council allows dogs on its beaches all year. Keep them out of the Aberlady Bay reserve, and on leads in the Belhaven dunes during the nesting season.

How far are the parks from Edinburgh?

Drummohr is about 10 miles from the city, with buses and trains nearby, and the estate park on the southern edge is four miles from the centre.

When is the best time to visit?

May to September brings long days, boat trips and beach weather. Winter is peaceful and good for dog walks, though some attractions open fewer days.