Plan your visit to the Scottish Seabird Centre

All the information you need for your Seabird Centre visit, opening times, admission prices and how to travel by train, car, bus, bike or on foot.

Open Daily

We are a conservation and education charity in the beautiful coastal town of North Berwick, supported by our award winning visitor experience, including the Green Tourism award. Dive in and explore the wonders of Scotland's seas with us in our interactive Discovery Experience. Soak up the coastal views towards the iconic Bass Rock (home to the largest population of Northern gannets on the planet!) from our Seabird Café, browse the sustainable treats in our gift shop and get up close to the spectacular local wildlife on our seasonal guided wildlife walks or boat trips.

Every time you visit you're supporting our vital marine conservation and education activities, if you'd like to find out about other ways to support our work, please consider a one off donation or become a friend or member of the Scottish Seabird Centre.

Opening Times - all daily

January* 10:00 - 16:00
February, March, September and October 10:00 - 17:00
April - August 10:00 - 18:00
November - December* 10:00 - 16:00

*Festive Opening Times. Please note the Centre is closed on Christmas Day. We close at 3pm on 24 December and 31 December and open at 11am on the 26th of December and 1st of January.

To ensure you have sufficient time to enjoy your visit the last entry to the Discovery Experience is 1 hour before closing time and final hot food orders are 45 minutes before we close.

Please note that for safety reasons children aged 15 years or under must be accompanied by a responsible person aged 18 or over at all times. Well behaved dogs are welcome in all areas of the Centre please check out our Pooch Policy for more details. Please note dogs must be kept on leads at all times in the Centre.

Our Discovery Experience tickets can be booked in advance online here. Discovery Experience tickets can also be purchased on arrival from our information desk. We will always do our best to accommodate walk-in visitors, provided we have capacity on the day of your visit. If you are visiting during a school holiday or weekend we still recommend advance booking where possible to avoid disappointment.

DISCOVERY EXPERIENCE

Dive in to Scotland’s incredible marine environment with our transformed Discovery Experience. The all-new exhibits, games and upgraded interactive live cameras on the world’s largest Northern gannet colony, the Bass Rock, bring the wonders of Scotland's exceptional marine habitats and wildlife to life. Explore the diverse marine life Scotland's seas support, from our incredible deep sea corals and kelp forests to playful marine mammals and giant seabird cities.

We have implemented a new online booking system with timed slots to visit our Discovery Experience. Booking slots in advance ensures that you will get the time you want for your visit. It also enables us to manage visitor numbers and flow in the Centre, ensuring their is ample space and visitors are able to relax and enjoy the full range of our interactives and exhibits. We can also take bookings at our Information Desk on the day of your visit provided that we have capacity on the day.

Admission tickets or membership

It's free to visit our Seabird Café and gift shop. If you are likely to visit our Discovery Experience more than once a year we recommend becoming a Seabird Centre member. Membership helps support our vital education and conservation work and you can enjoy free entry and discounts in our giftshop and cafe.

If you are a UK taxpayer and agree to include a voluntary donation of 10% with your entry fee, the Charity may be able to claim an additional 25% on top of your entry and donation from HMRC at no additional cost to you. We hope you'll be a Gift Aid visitor and support the education and conservation work of the charity.

Our admission prices, including a voluntary donation, are:

Ticket Prices

Adult £13.50
Child (3-15) £9 (under 3s FREE )
Concession £11.25 (60+, disabled with ID, student with ID, and YoungScot cardholders)
Family (2 adults & 2 children) £38.50
Additional children £8.50
Members FREE
Registered carers are FREE

Further information

As a conservation and education charity we encourage the use of sustainable transport and offer a 20% discount on ticket prices to anyone visiting with a valid (same day) East Coast Buses or Scotrail ticket.
Concessions: Age 60+, disabled with ID (carers free), student with ID and YoungScot cardholders. For group rates, please contact info@seabird.org.
We are Blue Peter badge attraction partners and children (age 5 to 15) with a Blue Peter badge will enjoy free entry to the Discovery Experience, with a full paying adult. Blue Peter card should be shown on arrival.
For safety reasons, children aged 15 years or under must be accompanied by a responsible person aged 18 or over at all times.
We have hundreds of reviews on TripAdvisor, so check out what some of our other visitors have said.

Scotland's Meaningful Travel Map

We are excited to announce that we are one of the first Scottish tourism experiences to be live on the Tourism Cares Meaningful Travel Map. We’ve worked with VisitScotland and Tourism Cares to highlight meaningful travel experiences in Scotland, so that the travel trade can incorporate experiences that positively impact the local community and environment in their itineraries and programmes.

Meaningful Travel

Things to do nearby

North Berwick is a fantastic seaside town and the region of East Lothian has lots to offer visitors. To find out what else there is to do here and in the local area visit our things to do nearby page.

GETTING HERE

Walking and cycling

The Scottish Seabird Experience forms part of the John Muir Way. We have bike racks and the North Berwick train is specially equipped with additional bike storage. You can also check out routes within the National Cycle Network to turn your visit into a wider sustianable travel experience.

Train

Fast, 35 minute journey from Edinburgh Waverley. Check train times HERE or by calling +44 (0)8457 550033. Travelling from further afield? Check the Trainline for train and coach travel information.

We offer a 20% discount for the Discovery Experience with a valid train ticket for that day.

The Scottish Seabird Centre is a 15 minute walk from North Berwick train station: this walk is downhill to the Centre and uphill back to the station.

Local taxi companies: Jim's Taxis +44 (0)1620 894900 and A2B Taxis +44 (0)1620 895000.

Bus

Transport around East Lothian is provided by East Coast Buses, Eve Coaches and Prentice Coaches. We offer a 20% discount for the Discovery Experience with a valid East Coast Buses ticket for that day.

Car

Only 25 miles/40kms from the centre of Edinburgh, the Scottish Seabird Centre and North Berwick are signposted from the A1. Get directions from your location here.

Follow the brown tourist signs to the Seabird Centre’s pay-and-display car park (or use EH39 4HN if you need a postcode for the SatNav to find the carpark), we are 5 minutes walk from here. Just head for the sea!

The rates, from 1 April 2019 are:

Up to 1 hour: £3.00; Up to 2 hours: £5.00; Up to 3 hours: £7.00; full day (9am to 6pm): £8.00 and FREE from October to February. Payments can be made by cash or by phone. With phone payments there is no ticket to display. All parking income supports the conservation and education work of our Charity.

Please note, there is accessible parking for blue badge holders adjacent to the Centre and in the Centre's car park.

Please be aware that in peak summer season parking spaces can be in high demand and it can take a little time to find a spot, please allow ample time in advance of your visit to park and walk to the Centre. This useful website shows all the parking locations in town should our car park be full or you prefer an alternative option.

If you're looking for electric car charging spaces this website can help you locate the closest sites in town.