A Coastal Escape at The Leddie
This cosy hotel in Aberlady is a welcoming resting place for locals and travellers alike.
Tens of thousands of geese make the journey to Aberlady from Iceland each autumn. My journey to the East Lothian village was not quite so long — around a half-hour drive from Leith to The Leddie: a 27-bedroom, four-star boutique hotel with an award-winning restaurant, an elegant bar featuring an impressive range of whisky, and a south-facing gin garden. The hotel recently marked its one-year anniversary, opening last year after a careful renovation that saw the 17th-century stone building restored to its former glory, and has since been named East Lothian Hotel of the Year 2025.
The Leddie is cosy, clean and charming, with wood-panelled interiors, eclectic art and decorated in soft, organic tones, reflective of the flora and fauna of Aberlady Bay (named Britain's first nature reserve in 1952). The luxurious bedrooms are complete with beautifully wrought fittings and furnishings, modern bathrooms with a rainfall shower, and the extra touches that make a short stay that bit more special, with bathrobes, a coffee machine and homemade shortbread.
Checking in among a gaggle of golfers, I enjoyed a welcome drink as part of the dinner, bed and breakfast Coastal Escape package, whilst dabbling in a fiercely competitive game of snakes and ladders (vintage board games take precedence over phones at The Leddie). It was a Thursday night, yet the restaurant and bar were buzzing with both hotel guests and local regulars, with live music a regular fixture on the weekends. Such is the draw of the Leddie that I was told the hotel’s previous owner still pops in routinely for an evening drink. Another local appeal is The Leddie’s £19 two-course set lunch menu, ideal for those based between Edinburgh and East Lothian, and changing regularly to reflect what’s fresh, available and in season.
Dinner at the Leddie is a three-course feast with a gastro-pub backbone, elevated by the details of fine dining. The burrata with heritage tomatoes was a fresh, zesty palate cleanser, while the pan-fried scallops were cooked to perfection and served in a moreish coastal herb and buttermilk dressing. Mains included tender lamb rump with braised red chard, and a comforting chicken, bacon, and leek pie with buttered greens. For dessert, a silky lemon posset with delicate shortbread, and the Leddie’s signature sticky toffee pudding, served hot alongside vanilla ice cream. Their impressive wine menu showcases a diverse range of bottles, each selected from a different region, drawing on the personal expertise and background of the bar staff ( I recommend the Gasper Chardonnay from Slovenia or the French, grapefruit-sharp Domaine La Croix Gratiot Picpoul de Pinet).
The Leddie is the ideal base from which to explore the beautiful coast of Aberlady on foot, with the stretches of Gullane and North Berwick within easy reach by public transport. You can even bring your four-legged companion, with dog-friendly rooms available. Recharged after a night’s rest and a leisurely à la carte breakfast, complete with all the trimmings of toast and juices, I set out to Aberlady Bay, a 15 minutes walk from the hotel. Geese gathered on the marshes as banks of thistles rippled in the wind, while the roaring sea beckoned in the distance. Stay at The Leddie, and you’ll leave with a renewed appreciation for East Lothian’s coastline, with many more plans to return.
The Coastal Escape package includes dinner, bed & breakfast with a welcome drink from £143 per person sharing.
01875 440644
This review featured in the September/October 2025 issue of Edinburgh Life
Print edition of Edinburgh Life (September & October 2025 ). Postage included in price.