With a regular bus service from Edinburgh and beyond, the town continued to attract families for their summer holidays. Hotels and Boarding Houses became common place along the seafront and Westerdunes House was converted into a hotel by Mr. De Menico. North Berwick as a tourist destination dates back to the 1850s when access to the town was made easier by the opening up of the railway line. During this period the number of visitors increased so dramatically that in 1871 the Town Council wrote to the Railway Company to request that the special cheap-day tickets be discontinued as the town was being over run by visitors, and there was inadequate accommodation available. For the first time new businesses were being established in the town, catering entirely for the visitors, such as the letting of property, hiring bathing boxes and children's golf clubs.

Alex Hutchison's two pleasure boats, St. Nicholas, and St. Baldred (later a third Britannia) sailed round the islands and a factory producing aerated water was established in Forth Street. It was also the practice during the summer months for many households to let out a room to visitors. The original Guest House was Mrs. Annie Abel's Tantallon House (4 West Bay Road ) and among the other boarding houses in 1871 were, Miss Smith at Parkend Villa; Mrs. Morgan, Rockville; Miss Elliot and Mrs. Hall in Quality Street and Mrs. J. Smith at 15, Shore Street. The Commercial Hotel (County Hotel) and the Dalrymple Arms Hotel in Quality Street, were the only post houses.

By 1861, the Royal Hotel was constructed and in 1872 an extension to the south elevation was added, also a bowling green and cricket-ground (on the site now Craigleith View Apartments). The addition was run as a separate Private Hotel by Charles Johnston and three years later he took over the lease of the Royal Hotel from the North British Railway Company and combined both into one establishment.

In 1875, the Marine Hotel designed by architect W. Beattie was built by J.& R. Whitecross, Shore Street, North Berwick at a cost of £20,000. At that time a new access road was also constructed (Cromwell Road). The speciality of the hotel was the salt and fresh water baths, with a pipe laid from the sea conveying salt water into tanks. The fresh water was supplied from a well in the grounds, which were laid out with a bowling green and putting green designed by Ben Sayers. Following a fire in 1882, part of the hotel was rebuilt to drawings by Mr. Pilkington. The Bradbury Hotel (1 York Road) was constructed in 1870 for Edward Bradbury; the Bass Rock Hotel at 6 York Road (Welbent) was opened in 1902 by Mary and Annie Maxwell, and Tantallon Hotel overlooking the East Links was opened in May 1908.

The Dalrymple Buildings (89-102 High Street) constructed in 1885, was originally designed as a hotel, but the developers went into liquidation before the site was completed. The ground floor shops remain from the original plans, but the upper floor was converted into the Temperance Hotel, which occupied the full length of the first floor. The entrance was by a stair in Balderstone Wynd, adjacent to what was the hotel kitchen and now the hairdresser's salon. The second and third floors of the Dalrymple Buildings were apartments, accessed from two common stairs. The ground floor premises (Readmore Book Store) was originally Simpson Henderson's Public Bar and later the Temperance Cafe Room.

During the 1880s there was a movement against drinking, gambling and playing sport on a Sunday. The Temperance Movement was at the forefront of this crusade, which also included a group named the Good Templars who met in the Burgh School in Market Place and whose members pledged to abstain from alcohol, tobacco, gambling and strong language.

In 1906, almost every large property in North Berwick was let from June until September, including the servants quarters and stabling. George Sheil & Sons,104 High Street was the main letting agent and their 1908 catalogue listed over 250 properties for let in the town. The families who rented the furnished houses sent their staff ahead with all the household requisites for the summer season. Trunks packed with china, crockery, bed linen, and clothes were then transported from the railway station by local carriers in their horse and cart to the various residences.

At this time motor vehicles were a luxury and daily excursions in a variety of horse drawn vehicles was the normal mode of transport. In 1909, a return trip to Tantallon Castle cost 4/6d and a request for a pair of horses was charged half-fare extra. Half-an-hour waiting by the driver was free, but two hours waiting was included if the journey was over 10 miles. A return trip to Haddington cost 15 shillings.

Later the well-to-do families had a motor vehicle which was garaged in North Berwick during the winter months. James Gilbert (Old Abbey Road) and George Fowler (May Terrace) rented out purpose-built lock-up space where the vehicles were stored.

In 1924, a through sleeper service began from London to North Berwick. The sleeper car was detached from the 10.35 pm night express from Kings Cross at Drem and conveyed from there to North Berwick by the branch engine, returning in the evening to Drem. A number of London sleepers continued to stop at Drem until 1980. This facility started in 1900 to accommodate local member of Parliament Arthur J. Balfour (Prime Minister 1902-05) who lived in the nearby village of Whittinghame. In 1926 North Berwick station enjoyed the highest ever number of passengers, almost 94,000 and at Hogmanay that year three extra third class carriages were required to cope with the additional traffic to Edinburgh.

In 1928, the Town Council purchased the first motorised Fire Engine which was housed in a new building next to where the old fire unit was stored on a site east of the Bass Rock Garage in Station Hill. It's bell is now on display at the present fire station. During the 1950s the call-out for the volunteer fire crew was the sounding of two Second World War sirens, situated at the old slaughter house in Dunbar Road and to the west in the grounds of the former Royal Hotel.

Most families were large in number and ten or more children per family was not uncommon. The Edington Home (Health Centre) was constructed in 1911 and opened the following year as a 'home for tired mothers'. The building was funded by a donation of £10,000 from Anne and Francis Edington, owners of the Commercial Hotel (County Hotel). Overcrowding in the community was a problem with one third of the population living three or more to a room. In 1920, the Scottish Electricity Board was connected to the National Grid, and mains electricity was supplied to every property, although 6% of those connected did not own an electrical appliance. The Board of Health encouraged more house building and in 1927 the Town Council set about developing the cottages in Lochbridge Road and three years later four blocks of houses in Glenburn Road. The Council also purchased the recreation park in 1927 and the single track bridge over the Glen Burn was considerably enlarged and Dunbar Road widened.

Calling out a Doctor was expensive and giving birth in a Maternity Home was beyond the budget of most families, so the majority of babies were born at home. In 1921, 107 out of every 1,000 baby's died at birth and over 500 women died each year having an abortion. In 1817, Robert Lewins was born in North Berwick, the son of a medical practitioner. Lewins qualified as a physician and made a special study of the brain, publishing two works on the subject. The earliest registered surgeons in the town were Giles and Hugh Macbain living in the High Street, they were joined by Dr. John L. Crombie in the 1870s (Park House). Dr. Hugh Macbain published an article in the Edinburgh Medical Journal in 1877 on the successful treatment of coal gas poisoning by steam baths. In the 1890s James Richardson, house surgeon at the Royal Infirmary Hospital lived at 7, Tantallon Terrace where his family still reside. There was no licensed Dental Surgeon in the town until the next century.

For many years Dr. Angus Mathieson practised medicine from his residence at 'Duntulm', 19, Westgate. During the 1930s Dr. Douglas Donald M.C. held his surgery at 'St Helens' 1, West End Place where he was later joined by Dr. John MacDonald and Dr. Derek Morton. The other medical practice was at the 'Garve' in Beach Road where Dr. Alexander Mallace M.C. resided. He was joined by Dr. Mercer and following the foundation of the National Health Service in 1948, there was a marked improvement in the health of the community. When Dr. Mallace retired, Dr. John MacDonald moved into the 'Garve' forming a group medical practice with Dr. Derek Morton and Dr. Mercer. The first lady to practice medicine in the town was Dr. Jessie Eeles, the daughter of Provost George Eeles. With the population increase in the 1950s the surgery was enlarged and Dr. Jean Walinck joined the practice in 1958 and later Dr. Norman Waugh.

During the 1930s, listening to gramophone records and the radio eased the pain of reality, the only escape for the working class was the cinema and by 1937 there were 114 cinema's in Glasgow alone. The Playhouse Cinema in North Berwick owned by Scott's Empires later Caledonian Associated Cinemas was built in 1938 on the site of the Foresters' Hall (Tigh Mhor) in the High Street. During this period it was becoming more acceptable for girls to participate in sports. Scottish speed champions Ellen King and Jean McDowall (both Olympic swimmers) were coached at North Berwick swimming pool at a time when a daily ticket cost six pence. Every swimmer of repute in the country appeared in exhibitions at the pool, including regular visits from world famous American divers.

With talk of war in 1935, came increased employment in the armament related industries, and by the following year unemployment had fallen to one and a half million. The first action by the Scottish fighter squadron of the Auxiliary Air Force - the accountants, lawyers, farmers and bankers who were the so-called 'weekend fliers', some of them not yet 20, took place on 16th October 1939, over the Firth of Forth. The skirmish involving the Spitfires of 602 and 603 Squadron based at Turnhouse and Drem (Fenton Barns) happened when the Luftwaffe launched its first major air raid on Britain, with Rosyth as the target.

A squadron of new Junkers 88 bombers flew to the Firth of Forth in search of HMS Hood, the Royal Navy's largest battleship, which they failed to find, but instead attacked two Royal Navy cruisers near the Forth Bridge. The leading Junkers 88 was intercepted just as it pulled out of its attack on HMS Mohawk, killing 15 sailors including the captain.

The German bomber was hit repeatedly off Kirkcaldy and finally shot down near Crail. Another ditched into the sea off Port Seton and the pilot was rescued by local fisherman James Dickson, and transfered to the military hospital at Edinburgh Castle. The dogfight, the first time Spitfires were used in anger, was witnessed by thousands in Fife and East Lothian. In the course of the first few months the activity at Drem was such that two pilots had won the DFC and the station was visited by King George VI. Drem, an all grass airfield was originally used by the Royal Flying Corps during the First World War. In July 1940 there were 12 Spitfires from 602 squadron and 8 Hurricanes from 605 squadron based at Drem The Spitfires of both 602 and 603 squadrons played a crucial role in the 1940 Battle of Britain flying from airfields in the south of England such as Westhampnet and Hornchurch. 602 (City of Glasgow) in particular would outlast all the regular RAF fighter squadrons in the front line, testimony to the skill and bravery of those part-time pilots.

The North Berwick Observer Corps formed in 1938, was made up with volunteers and their lookout post was situated on Castle Hill. When war was declared the Observer Corps went into action with a 24 hour watch, two on at a time with direct communications with their HQ at Galashiels who in turn informed the RAF.

On 9th February 1940 a German Heinkel bomber was shot down over North Berwick, crashing in a field behind the bus shelter at Lime Grove. The two observers on duty that day were Wishart and Sim who took the credit. George Sim (1922-28) and James Wishart (1959-65) were both Provosts of the Royal Burgh.

The defence organisations in North Berwick included Air Raid Wardens, Fire Service and Home Guard. The fire watchers were based on the roof of the Post Office in Westgate where beds were installed in the rest rooms on the upper floor. The Home Guard who manned road blocks on Dirleton Avenue and Dunbar Road were based in the Hope Rooms and Caddie Shed on the West Links.

Throughout the Second World War when forty of the town's young men gave the ultimate sacrifice, life in the community continued, despite the constrictions and uncertainty that prevailed. The Bass Rock lighthouse was unmanned and the light extinguished for the duration of the conflict. Percy Pearson the local lobster fisherman was often instructed by the Ministry to make for the Bass and switch on the light, to allow a convoy of Royal Navy Destroyers save passage to Rosyth.

In 1941, aircrew were trained at East Fortune in night fighting techniques for the RAF's Fighter Command. In 1942, Drem and East Fortune became temporary home to six Hurricane squadrons and several other Spitfire squadrons, notably the Poles, Canadians and Australian 453 Squadron. The command of the Polish Free Army was based near Kincardine, and the Poles stationed at East Fortune were billeted at Warrender House and Strathearn Hotel in York Road. Many of the Polish names familiar in the community today such as Sanetra, Gdulewicz, Borge, Skwara, and Rogawska came from that period. When a number of the exiles married local girls and settled in the area rather than returning home to the Soviet domination of Poland after 1945.

The Ministry of War requisitioned Greywalls House in Gullane as an 'off station' and officers mess, where in the hedonistic atmosphere of an uncertain tomorrow the pilots and crew held many 'Champagne Parties'. Evidence of the high spirits still exist today in the form of a bullet hole shot in the copper ball of the pinnacle of the roof. Drem also provided the backdrop for one of the final actions of the war when on 11th May 1945 Spitfires of 603 squadron escorted on to the runway three German JU 52 transport planes carrying not bombs but Nazi officers suing for peace.

Walter Hume remembers growing up in North Berwick during WW2. His father, uncles and cousin were Forth Pilots and as such his main residence was Newhaven, Edinburgh with a second home at North Berwick. Walter Hume writes' With the continued threat of air raids we moved to our second home at North Berwick in October 1939. First to a grand old big house called 'Ardgay', ideally situated along the East Bay, with the magnificent beach literally on our door step and an uninterrupted sea view looking over to the Fife coast, the silenced fog-horns and unlit lighthouse beams of the Bass Rock, May Island and Fidra, due to the strict black-out in force. After a short while we moved to a more permanent abode, a delightful big apartment house situated above a pub named 'Auld Hoose', in Forth Street, probably remembered because it was such a happy time in spite of there being a war going on else where.

I enrolled at North Berwick school in School Road, where Mr Lonnie was headmaster. It always puzzled us that for music lessons we were encouraged to sing with gusto, the only problem being that all the red coloured hard-back music books handed out were quite useless, none of us could read music, or more to the point the words, which were all in the Welsh language!!!. Our daily lives were not affected directly with war time activities although with several air force stations nearby there always something going on. One of the more regrettable incidents which had us dashing down to the harbour happened on 12th December 1939.

With lots of Spitfire fighter aircraft zooming about just above roof top level, word quickly went round that they had just shot down a bomber into the sea a few hundred yards off the old disused Victoria Pier. In addition to numerous naval patrol craft that were quickly on the scene a local fishing boat, named Caithness Lass, put out to help pick up any survivors, as a few saturated aircrew clambered ashore at the old Victoria Jetty and trundled up past the open air swimming pool, we were looking to see the Germans, as we thought, and to everyone's surprise and dismay saw only our own RAF uniforms. The story came out soon after that several Hampden Bombers returning from a operation over the Norwegian coast failed to give the correct identification signal for the day and our defence Spitfires promptly brought it down just south of Craigleith Island, one of the Hampden crew died as a result of this dreadful mistake, some fifty years after that incident I actually met up with one of the crew in Poole, Dorset, he not only survived that ditching but went on to successfully complete more than one full tour of war time duties.

Pre-war the Forth Pilot cutters used North Berwick harbour as a base, but with the onset of hostilities they were moved across to the north shore at Largo, because of the huge concentration of shipping in Methil Bay, when yet again we were attracted like moths to a light when word got around the Pilot boat was seen approaching the harbour, and an ambulance in attendance, as usual we nippers were chased away, and when I arrived home to relate what had just been observed, was promptly told, yes, and its your father who they brought ashore, he is now in bed.

He had been on the Bridge of HMS Edinburgh conducting compass adjusting when the ship was attacked by German aircraft, he was fortunately not hit by bullets but a LIVE high voltage radio aerial which fell across his back causing a form of paralysis and severe electrical burns. He adamantly refused to be taken to hospital as family just lived up the road, had a couple of weeks off work (almost unheard of at that time) then back to Piloting ships to join the Russian convoys or hazardous Atlantic voyages, not exactly a quiet life in the sheltered Firth of Forth Estuary.

One of the few forms of entertainment, apart from the fore-going, was a visit to the only cinema, quite small but fairly new, built just before the war, the Playhouse visit once a week became a few hours of escapism, with so many service personnel stationed in and around the town it was a full house every night, but we did not mind waiting in the long queue, to see the likes of Kenny Baker in the Mikado, now there's nostalgia for you.' Walter Hume spent a life-time at sea and retired to Cowes, Isle of Wight.

Following World War II, the Italians made up the biggest group of immigrants in Scotland. Many setting up ice cream parlours and fish and chip shops, establishing the fish supper as a traditional Scottish meal, while maintaining close contact with Italy. The Tomassi, and Luca families established a business in the town while the Capaldi ice cream parlour with a pianist playing the latest tunes of the day was a mecca at 99 High Street during the 1930s.

In the 1940s, the Royal and Marine Hotels were owned by Eglinton Hotels Ltd. The company purchased St Ann's in York Road and converted the building into a Children's Hotel where wealthy families sent their children for the summer months. In 1949, the two year old grandson of Emperor Haile Salassie of Ethiopia, Prince Paul Wosen Haile Salassie spent a few weeks at St Anns with his Scottish nanny and Ethiopian under-nurse.

The Town Fete was a highlight each year, held on the Coo's Green, in the area beyond the East Putting Green. Arranged by the North Berwick Traders Association, to raise funds for the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, this was in the days before the National Health Service, when Hospitals relied on public donations for their survival. (The first door to door collection in the town for the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary was in September 1739). At the fete, as well as games for prizes donated by the residents there was a children's fancy dress competition, followed by a parade through the town. The Fire Engine and Town Council vehicles, decorated in flags and bunting, carried the children through the streets.

During the 1930s the town's shopkeepers and tradesmen took part in the parade, many on horse back. In those days the procession took in the west end of the town, where the young shop assistants would visit the residencies in York Road, Cromwell Road and Dirleton Avenue, where they had delivered goods throughout the year. At each stop, they were offered 'refreshments' by the household staff, and collected donations from his 'Lordship' towards the fund raising.

The Coo's Green was used for the last time in 1959 and that year also saw the final Fancy Dress Parade. The Town Council had purchased Lady Jane Park (Lodge Grounds) and mansion house in 1938 and the Town Fete moved to that location in 1960. At that time the Lodge Grounds had two fields, both fenced off for grazing cattle and sheep. Later the live-stock were moved to the east field and the other opened up to the public, although the practice of locking the gates to the Lodge Grounds at dusk continued.