Formerly known as Coldingham Shore, this is where the fisherman launched their boats from the beach. Most of them lived at Fisher's Brae in Coldingham.
Every day they carried their baited lines and gear 1.5 miles down the Creel Path. You can still walk this path today between Coldingham and St Abbs.
It was not until the middle of the 18th century that fishermen lived there.
St Abbs
In 1832, when the harbour was built, sixteen fishing families lived there while twenty others were Coldingham based.
At that time about 40 boats operated around Coldingham Shore although the harbour was designed to cater for up to 70 boats.
At the end of the 19th century the village was renamed St Abbs to avoid confusion between it and Coldingham.
Today you can still explore the picturesque buildings and the still working harbour. You can try some fishing yourself and there are charter boats to take you out to try and catch the 'big one'. Find our more at the new St Abbs visitor centre.
St Abbs
Due to the dangerous rocks off the Head the lighthouse was built in 1862 by the Stevenson Family who constructed most of Scotland's lighthouses.
Originally it was staffed by 3 full time keepers whose duties included 'keeping the light' and making detailed weather records. However since 1993 it has been fully automated.
In 1876 a fog horn was added: the very first in Scotland. Its booming horn was a charismatic feature of the area on foggy nights. It is no longer operational.
Lighthouse
The lighthouse has a 2 mile stretch of single-track tarmac road leading to it from the main road close to St Abbs village.
There is the St Abb's Head Circular Walk to enjoy. A 4 mile walk along a spectacular stretch of Berwickshire coastline. It is a fairly easy walk with a few inclines. Sheer cliff edges in places so children and pets need to be guided accordingly.
The lighthouse and and the twisty part of the road leading away from the lighthouse can be seen in the 2017 film Whisky Galore.
Lighthouse
This is the perfect local sandy beach. Not only does it have blue flag status, it is easy to access, family friendly, picturesque and a great place to build sand castles while watching the surfers enjoying the waves.
A large free car park, beach cafe, toilets, disabled parking spaces on the beach, and RNLI life guards during the holiday season. Awarded the Keep Scotland Beautiful Award for beach cleanliness.
The Berwickshire Coastal Footpath crosses the bay with St Abbs to the north and Eyemouth to the south.
Coldingham Bay
To the northern end of the beach are the beach huts, some quite historic. At the southern end lies Homeli Knoll, a steep, grassy hillock with wonderful views from the summit.
The waters of the bay provide an ideal habitat for a wide variety of marine life. At low tide there are many rock pools which are well worth exploring for hermit crabs and anemones.
Coldingham Bay
The site of Coldingham Priory has been holy ground certainly for close on 900 years, possibly for 1300, and perhaps for nearly 2000 years. There is a Bronze Age cemetery site a quarter of a mile away. lt has seen the rise and fall of one of the most interesting monasteries in Scotland. What remains today is only the tip of an iceberg.
Opposite the main door between the porch and the Church proper is the north wall. This, together with the east wall, it is generally regarded as one of the most beautiful pieces of ecclesiastical building in Scotland.
Priory
Today the Church of Scotland Parish of Coldingham & St Abbs is linked with nearby Eyemouth Parish. The two congregations of Eyemouth and Coldingham & St Abbs share a common vision for our happily linked parishes. The linkage has been in place now since 1986.
The merger with St Abbs and the linkage with Eyemouth have meant that the Parish had significant financial resources from the sale some years ago of St Abbs church and the Coldingham Manse. This has permitted the recent renovation of the Priory Church to provide modern facilities.
There is significant historical information available on the history of the Priory on the Coldingham Info website. Informative and interesting reading.
Priory
It was the outbreak of World War Two that first brought the RAF to Coldingham, to Drone Hill to be precise.
Drone Hill was the first Chain Home Radar station in Scotland.
Construction began in September 1938 and the station was brought into 24-hour use on Good Friday 1939. For security reasons the term radar was not used and instead it was called an Air Ministry Experimental Station. It consisted of four 106 metre steel towers supporting the transmitting aerials and four 7 metre wooden towers carrying the receiving aerials.
Drone Hill
The end of the Second World War brought an uneasy peace and the start of the Cold War. The fear was of an initial invasion by Russian bombers carrying nuclear bombs and the start of World War Three. The RAF came to Coldingham again this time as RAF Crosslaw.
In 1952 the RAF built a large underground complex up in the hills above Coldingham near Lumsdaine. This was to serve not only as the communication centre for the radar station, but also as an emergency home for government should an attack take place.
Drone Hill
If you are reading this you are already here. Once the heartland of a rich and powerful religious order, today the village is still an important node for tourism. It's a perfect base from which to explore Berwickshire's multi-faceted coastline.
Plus lots happen right here in the village. From the hall just across the car park the local community operates an extensive cultural programme throughout the year. This includes films, drama and musical performances. There is also the annual gala or country fayre as it is known.
Coldingham
Furthermore there are many places and options for staying that range from caravan sites to guest houses and self catering. There is also a wide range of eating and drinking establishments.
The Bogan was once called Weavers Row more than 50 handloom weavers worked in the Parish in the mid 19th century, working a 13-hour day for 6 shillings (30p) per week. The local specialty was gingham, a checked cloth used for both clothing and furnishings.
Don't overlook the village's past - its former Priory is home to a very fascinating archaeological story.
Coldingham
The famous author, Sir Walter Scott, was a true romantic. His high adventue Waverly novels were best sellers in their day. He was captivated by the ruins of Fast Castle, perched right on a high and exposed cliff edge. If was included in the novel Bride of the Lammermuirs but was renamed Wolf's Crag.
A visit to the ruins is a must do experience. Not only will you share Scott's sense of the dramatic but you will also experience the natural drama of this section of the coastline which rises a sheer 170m (530ft) straight out of the sea
Fast Castle