St Abbs – night fishing, crabs, sharks, and… a nuclear power plant.
One autumn day in 2018, together with a Czech couple we knew, we set out for the St Abb’s Head National Nature Reserve, about two hours east of Glasgow. The reserve is famous as a haven for travelers and birdwatchers in search of remarkable seabirds, including the iconic puffins, guillemots, and fulmars that nest on the dramatic cliffs surrounding Pettico Wick Bay. But we had come here for an entirely different reason…
Urszulka, translated by Konrad
7/23/20254 min read
One autumn day in 2018, together with a Czech couple we knew, we set out for the St Abb’s Head National Nature Reserve, about two hours east of Glasgow.
The reserve is famous as a haven for travelers and birdwatchers in search of remarkable seabirds, including the iconic puffins, guillemots, and fulmars that nest on the dramatic cliffs surrounding Pettico Wick Bay. But we had come here for an entirely different reason…
Nestled in the heart of the reserve, Pettico Wick Bay offers breathtaking views of the St Abbs coastline, especially at sunset. We wholeheartedly recommend it to photography enthusiasts and incurable romantics alike. :)
It’s also a popular spot, considered one of the very best places for shore diving. We even had the chance to watch a pair of divers enter the water while we, sitting on the remains of the old harbour pier, were busy indulging in brie and grilled sausages. And really, who could blame us? Everything makes perfect sense here—crystal-clear water, fascinating marine life… what more could you possibly want?
Dolphins and octopuses?
Yes, you’ll find those in St Abbs too.
Of course, you’ll need to dive if you want to see the octopuses and other underwater creatures, but with a bit of luck you can spot bottlenose dolphins right in Pettico Wick Bay. We haven’t managed to catch sight of any Scottish dolphins yet—we’re still chasing them. But if we ever do, you can be sure we’ll brag about it! :)
We spent the night in our cars, so we parked as close to the bay as possible—but we definitely recommend the official St Abbs Head reserve parking. You can leave your car there without any worries and head north through the reserve to reach Pettico Wick. It’s only about a ten-minute walk to get to views like these.
And so we made our way down…
… and that’s how we could hardly believe the views in front of us.
Did you know that Pettico Wick Bay was once used for smuggling, thanks to its discreet location?
Let's play a game - how many faces do you see at this photo?
Diana and I did quite a bit of walking—there was so much to explore! And now it’s time to rest, without worrying about crooked shots…
Oh! This time we nailed it! :)
If you compare the photo above with the previous one, you’ll see how much the water level changed over just a few hours.
Ah, that crystal-clear water… you could stare at it for hours.
Konrad’s smile says it all—we were full, rested, and ready for some night fishing.
The guys bravely kept fishing through the night, equipped with angler’s gloves and headlamps.
Meanwhile, the girls sat in the car chatting… until they eventually fell asleep. :)
With a view like this, we said goodbye to St Abbs and Pettico Wick Bay the following morning.
Oh, we really didn’t want to leave…
At least we were bid farewell by views straight out of a Windows XP wallpaper! :)
Torness Nuclear Power Station
Our adventures weren’t over yet, so we decided to keep going. Next stop—the pier by the Torness Nuclear Power Station.
At first, we came across a poor little sickly rabbit. And in the background, the power station.
By the time we got settled, it was already getting dark. But the grill was heating up, so we could finally just sit back!
And so we sat, chatting, while the guys kept fishing. Until suddenly…
A lobster was caught!
And what a catch!
Straight off the spool, on just the line, no reel!
“I have to describe this my own way :)” – K.
We never expected that our very first lobster ever would be caught—and eaten—by us. And on a pier by a nuclear power station, no less ;)
