Eyemouth is the only significant fishing port on the Berwickshire coast — a compact harbour town at the mouth of the Eye Water where it cuts through sandstone cliffs into the North Sea. The coastal cliff-tops carry sea-thrift, sea-campion and bird's-foot trefoil from May through to late summer, and the Eye Water's willows and hawthorn run inland through the town. The productive Merse farmland behind the coast has oilseed rape on the field systems giving a spring flow, and the hawthorn hedgerows of the Coldingham and St Abbs hinterland are thick with blossom in May. Bramble is prolific on the cliff-top scrub edges; ivy on old stone harbour walls closes the season.
Collectors attend swarms on the cliff-top coastal scrub between Eyemouth and St Abbs Head, along the Eye Water willows through the town, in the oilseed rape field margins on the Merse roads toward Coldingham, and in the stone garden walls and fisher's cottage eaves of the harbour area.
Nearest BBKA-affiliated associations to help with swarm collection and local advice.
NE65 9QH· approx. 71 km
Visit websiteNE46 3NB· approx. 100 km
Visit websiteNE12 8EH· approx. 100 km
Visit websiteAssociation data sourced from the British Beekeepers Association directory via SwarmBase.
Spring is late; hawthorn and sycamore carry May. Oilseed rape is grown in moderation. The defining flow is ling heather on the Cheviots and Lammermuirs from late July — dark, set, among the best hill heather in the UK. Bilberry in moorland-fringe oakwoods, white clover in hay meadows, bramble in sheltered valleys, and a short autumn ivy flow on stone cottage walls round out a short year.
More on beekeeping in Scottish BordersReport it in under a minute and a trained local beekeeper will arrange safe collection.
