Step up to the challenge this Summer Solstice!
As you spend time on the beach, give something back to nature whilst soaking up the sun on the longest day of the year.
The Scottish Seabird Centre (SSC) and Scottish Coastal Cleanup (SCCU), with help from the East Lothian Council Countryside Ranger Service and community litter picking groups, are calling on you to take up our challenge and clean your section of coast over the Summer Solstice weekend (June 21st – 22nd). It’s 2025, so we plan to cover 25 miles of coastline between North Berwick and Portobello over one weekend… but we need as much help as we can get!
The SCCU and SSC team will be beach cleaning our way along the coast throughout the two days, so keep an eye out for us!
Sign up…
…to be kept up to date. We’ll send you a reminder the week before with advice regarding tides, what to look for, where to borrow cleanup kit, what to do with the litter you collect and some general tips to keep you safe.
Borrow Litter Picking Kit
We’ve left a small amount of kit (including litter pickers and bin bags) at various locations along the coast:
- North Berwick: Scottish Seabird Centre, ask at the info desk
- Yellowcraig: please email us for the padlock code
- Gullane: please email us for the padlock code
- Longniddry Bents #1 car park: please email us for the padlock code
- Fisherrow Harbour: please email us for the padlock code
- Portobello: get in touch with Keep Porty Tidy via Facebook or Instagram
Want to organise something for a bigger group?
Contact the SSC, SCCU or Countryside Ranger Service for extra equipment in advance.
Litter Removal
Once you have finished, you can leave the green bags of litter you collected at pickup sites along the coast:
- North Berwick: at the Scottish Seabird Centre
- Yellowcraig: in the on-site wheelie bins
- Gullane: in the on-site wheelie bins
- Aberlady: behind the toilet blocks
- Longniddry: behind the toilet blocks
- Cockenzie/Port Seton: by the public bins at the car parks/behind the toilet blocks
- Levenhall: by the public bins at the car parks
- Portobello: by the public bins
Any questions?
Check out our FAQs below or get in touch! Contact us on hello@balancedhorizon.org or conservationprojects@seabird.org.
Please include ‘Summer Solstice Beach Clean 2025’ in the subject line of any email enquiries.
FAQs
How do I take part?
Choose a beach between North Berwick and Portobello and start picking up litter! It can be a little or a lot, for a minute or over an hour, a few metres or a mile. Once you have finished, let us know how you got on! Tell us which beach you cleaned and send us photos of what you find.
Where is this event based?
Any part of East Lothian's coastline between (and including) North Berwick and Portobello.
Do I need to arrange a time for the bin bags to be collected?
The East Lothian Countryside Ranger service will kindly collect the bags at the specified locations at the end of the day. If you would like to arrange pick-up at a different location, please get in touch.
What do I need to bring?
- Gardening gloves to protect your hands.
- An old shopping bag that you can empty out into a public bin. For bigger cleans, contact us to borrow litter picking equipment and bags.
- Walking boots/grippy shoes, weather-appropriate clothing, a drink and snacks, any medication, mobile phone, sun protection.