Dunbar - Harbours & Castle Ruins

Navigating The Route

This is a circular Detective Mystery around Dunbar's harbours, castle ruins and High Street, with Detectives helping Detective Chief Inspector Justin Case follow a brewery-related investigation after hotelier Ivy Fourstars was found in one of the vats, and working out what really happened.

The investigation covers approximately 2 miles and should take around 2 hours to complete. You'll start outside the Dunbar Town House Museum & Gallery on High Street, at the junction with Silver Street, then follow the trail along the High Street, through quieter parts of Dunbar and along the harbour before returning to the High Street.

This Trail is not suitable for wheelchairs or pushchairs. The route includes pavement sections, a downhill stretch, a narrow road section, an unpaved road, a beach section, a wooden drawbridge and some busy crossings.

Take care on busy road crossings, where the road narrows, on the unpaved East Links Road, on the beach, and around open water, unfenced drops into the sea and harbour walls. Keep Mini Detectives close while you gather the evidence.

Getting There

By car: Begin your investigation outside the Dunbar Town House Museum & Gallery on High Street, at the junction with Silver Street (EH42 1ER), using ///poodle.quaking.drank. Park your squad car at Lauderdale Park car park (EH42 1AE) or Dunbar Leisure Pool car park (EH41 1EU).

By public transport: Make your way to the Dunbar Town House Museum & Gallery on High Street, at the junction with Silver Street, to begin the case. The circular route loops back to the High Street and returns to the start area once the investigation is complete.

Need the Loo?

Toilets are on Bayswell Road, between the two recommended car parks, just before you reach the High Street. If needed, public toilets are also at Dunbar House near the end of the route.

Bring Your Furry Sidekicks

Four-legged Detectives can join the investigation 🐾

The route includes busy roads, a narrow road section, an unpaved road, a beach section, a wooden drawbridge and harbour areas, so keep canine colleagues close around traffic, open water, unfenced drops into the sea and harbour walls.

Food & Drink Stops

Every good case needs refreshments. Dunbar has great shopping and lovely cafes and bars, and there's a chance to rest and refuel with refreshments before Clue 04.

If you're bringing your own provisions, pack a picnic to enjoy on the beach after Clue 09, or at the harbour at Clues 13 to 17.

Want to Make a Day of It?

John Muir's Birthplace Museum

If you have time, visit John Muir's birthplace museum. John Muir is described as the founder of the modern conservation movement and the first person to call for practical action to safeguard and cherish the world's wild places - a fitting extra for Detectives who like their investigations with a dose of big-thinking history.

Dunbar Parish Church

Dunbar Parish Church was built in 1821 and stood for over a century before a fire swept through in 1987. A restoration in the 1990s brought it back to its former glory, with a few modern touches tucked between the stonework, and the cemetery is worth exploring while you're on the case.

Dunbar's Harbour and Old Battery

The route heads along the harbour and across the wooden drawbridge to the old battery, giving your squad plenty of sea air between clues. Dunbar was a handy port, and Cromwell used it as his supply base in September 1650 before the Battle of Dunbar.

Dunbar Castle

Overlooking Dunbar Harbour are the fragmentary remains of what was once one of the mightiest castles in Scotland. The site had a fortress from Roman times, and the first stone castle here was probably constructed by the Earl of Dunbar in the 1070s - excellent background evidence for anyone who likes a ruin with serious history.