Thorntonloch

BeachEast Lothian Council🐾 Dogs allowed — with rules

A roughly 1km sandy beach about 8km south-east of Dunbar, popular with anglers and surfers, in a mostly rural catchment.

📍 View on the map

Beach & safety

Water quality: Excellent

Lifeguard: none

Hazards: Short-term pollution risk after heavy rain; exposed surf beach popular with surfers.

Amenities: car-park

Dogs

No exact council byelaw text located. Secondary sources list Thorntonloch among East Lothian beaches with seasonal restrictions (roughly April/May-September) rather than a permanent ban. Exact dates unconfirmed.

Unofficial source: View the supporting source →Not an authority; check current signage.

Family

Quieter beach, popular with surfers and anglers rather than a typical family day-out spot.

Fishing

Clean or mixed sand can support flounder and dab, seasonal bass, winter codling and whiting, and dogfish after dark.

Species reported: Flounder, Dab, Bass, Codling, Whiting, Lesser-spotted dogfish

Crabbing

not recommended

Access & parking

Roadside parking off the A1 near Thorntonloch. Sat-nav: TD13 5YE. Get directions →

Researched 2026-07-24 — sources & disclaimer

https://bathingwaters.sepa.org.uk/profiles/profile?location=4573

https://www.thebeachguide.co.uk/south-scotland/lothian/dogs-allowed

Rules and conditions change, so always check current signage and tides before you go. We do our best to keep this accurate but can't promise it's error-free.