About East Lothian

With a population of more than 90,000, East Lothian is one of the most picturesque areas of Scotland. The county stretches from the eastern edge of Edinburgh to the waters of the North Sea. Rich in history, the past is kept alive with rugged castles, historic market towns and the remains of ancient settlements.

The quality of the urban and rural environment is one of East Lothian’s greatest assets, with some of the finest farmland in Scotland. It is bounded on the south by the Lammermuir Hills and stretches eastwards to the boundary with Scottish Borders at Cockburnspath. It also contains part of the Edinburgh Green Belt.

More than half the population live in the Musselburgh, Prestonpans, Cockenzie, Port Seton and Tranent areas. Although Musselburgh is the largest town in East Lothian, Haddington is its administrative centre where over 400 of the Council’s 4,480 staff work. The area’s economy was built on farming, fishing, coal mining and general manufacturing. Today, East Lothian is home to a number of modern industries including electronics, chemical research and printing. Agriculture remains important but inshore fishing is now only a small scale industry.

Tourism is an important and developing industry. East Lothian is a golfer’s paradise with a total of 22 courses. Musselburgh Links is the oldest surviving golf course in the world, but the most famous East Lothian course is Muirfield, home to the Open Championship 14 times since 1892 and last held there in 2002.

But East Lothian has a host of other attractions apart from golf – fishing either in the sea or in the trout fisheries is extremely popular, and walking, cycling, horse riding and water sports such as surfing and sail boarding are also all catered for.

Throughout the summer months East Lothian hosts many local galas, festivals, fetes and agricultural shows. Places of interest to visit include the Museum of Flight at East Fortune; Glenkinchie Distillery; the Bass Rock, a sanctuary for birds and the third largest gannetry in the world; the Seabird Centre, North Berwick and the John Muir Birthplace in Dunbar; which details the life and achievements of the conservationist and founder of America’s National Parks. Historic castles include Dirleton, Tantallon and Hailes, which are all maintained by Historic Scotland.