Dunbar on the southern shore of the Firth of Forth is still a working harbour.  The remains of the 9th-century castle form one arm of the entrance to the harbour, which provides a wonderful sheltered location for powerboat training. Outside the harbour there are views north to the Bass Rock, and south to Torness nuclear power station and Barns Ness lighthouse (no longer working).

Dunbar has a long and colourful history. In 1296 Dunbar was defeated by Edward I; 19 years later Edward II fled Scotland from the same harbour after his defeat. In 1338 the Countess of Dunbar, “Black Agnes”, successfully defended the castle against the English for six months, and was only conquered when the English brought reinforcements in through the harbour. In 1650 Oliver Cromwell destroyed the castle after defeating the royalists there during the English Civil War, and used the stones to improve the harbour. The house of the American explorer John Muir is now a museum in the town.