St. Baldred's Boat
Crescent of rocks that stretch out from Seacliff Beach and whose tip is marked with large cross that recalls St Baldred.
St. Baldred's Boat is certainly not a boat, but the name given to a dangerous rocky outcrop which juts into the sea north of Seacliff beach and east of Tantallon Castle. It is believed that St. Baldred lived in this area from about 700 to 6 March 757 A.D. St Baldred seems to have become a monk at the monastery on the tidal island of Lindisfarne in Northumberland, though by some accounts he was born in Ireland. At some point in the first half of the 700s he established a monastery at Tyninghame which owned large estates covering much of the coastal plain of East Lothian. St Baldred himself undertook frequent retreats to a hermitage and chapel he had built for himself on Bass Rock. It is said that St Baldred died on Bass Rock and there was subsequently a dispute between the parishes of Auldhame, Tyninghame and Prestonkirk, about where he should be buried. The story goes that after a night of prayer, three identical bodies were found, each wrapped in its winding sheet ready for burial. The story was probably a later invention intended to explain why all three churches established shrines to Saint Baldred.
Travel Directions to St. Baldred's Boat
East end of Seacliff Beach
Nearby Castles
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Seacliff House
1750s house with varied history largely destroyed by fire at beginning of 1905 behind Seacliff Beach. Fun to visit.
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Seacliff Tower
Ruined probably C16 tower house in exposed position on cliff. Walkable from east end of Seacliff beach.
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Golden Oak Chalet, East Lothian - Sleeps 6
Lovely holiday chalet with a stunning view over Dunbar and the coast, Bass Rock and John Muir Park.
- Sleeps: 6
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Harvest Moon Safari Tents
Like something from Out of Africa but on the dunes behind lovely Tyninghame Beach 15 miles out of Edinburgh. Great for families as well.
- Sleeps: 6-8
St. Baldred's Boat Cottages and Holiday SelfCatering
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Lakeside Retreat, nr Dunbar - Sleeps 4
This holiday lodge is set by a river-fed fishing lake in the grounds of Thurston Manor, Holiday Park. Close to the Lammermuir Hills and within minutes of beaches in East Lothian, this is an ideal destinati... -
Oldhamstocks Cottage, Dunbar, sleeps 4
With Edinburgh just 40 minutes away and Holy Island, the castles of Bamburgh and Alnwick within 45 to 55 minutes’ drive, endless sandy beaches and golf courses on the doorstep, this charming, detache... -
Scots Pines, Dunbar, sleeps4
This stylish and comfortably furnished holiday house is on the edge of a residential area, with children’s play area, looking onto woodland. 20 minutes’ walk from the town, beach and harbour wi... -
Belhaven Cottage, nr Dunbar - Sleeps 6
The village of Belhaven, on the outskirts of the Royal Burgh of Dunbar, provides a peaceful retreat with lovely countryside and sea shore walks. This is one of the 3 areas in Scotland renowned for .... -
Garden Lodge, Whittingehame, sleeps 6
In a very secluded setting, within the grounds of a working estate, lies this charming, detached, holiday cottage which is an original Adam design with Victorian additions. Furnished and decorated to retai...