Every day/ All year
The Battery is occasionally closed for short periods of time for private events. Please check the Battery website before you visit.
Dunbar Battery, completed in 1781, was built on Lamer Island to protect the Old Harbour & the town of Dunbar from privateers and invaders. In 1874, a two-storey hospital was built to tend to patients with infectious diseases – it is an island after all! The Dunbar Red Cross took over the hospital in 1910. When the hospital was closed c.1920, the building was used to provide emergency housing. It is believed one woman raised 12 children here. After major renovations, the spectacular amphitheatre opened in 2017, for visitors to enjoy music, exhibitions, drama productions, weddings, poetry and more!
A must-visit, where you will find more information providing a wonderful insight into the history of the Battery, and a little about the Dunbar Harbours; including information about the many vessels that never reached the safety of the harbour, and lives lost as a result.
It provides a superb location to see some of the most fabulous views of the East Lothian coastline; Bass Rock being one of the many wonderful sights.
The environment is a nature-watchers’ paradise, with possible sightings of a variety of bird species. Terns, Gannets, Shags, Eiders, and of course, in season, the hundreds of Kittiwakes that breed on Dunbar Castle. Seals can be seen inside the harbours, and from the Battery walls, pods of dolphins can be clearly seen several times per year, especially on calm days.
A team of volunteers maintain the Battery Coastal Garden. An incredibly challenging environment to grow plants successfully, especially as it is at the whim of the North Sea! However, our team, with specialist knowledge and sheer determination, manage to present a garden of splendour every year for you to visit and enjoy.
