East Lothian facts for kids

For other uses, see East Lothian (disambiguation).

"Haddingtonshire" redirects here. For other uses, see Haddingtonshire (disambiguation).

Quick facts for kids

East Lothian

Aest Lowden
Lodainn an Ear

Haddingtonshire

Flag
Coat of arms	Council logo

Sovereign state

United Kingdom

Country

Scotland

Lieutenancy area

East Lothian

Admin HQ

Haddington

Government

• Type

Unitary authority

• Body

East Lothian Council

Area

• Total

262.2 sq mi (679.2 km²)

Area rank

Ranked 18th

Population

(2020)

• Total

105,790

• Rank

Ranked 21st

• Density

403.41/sq mi (155.757/km²)

ONS code

S12000010

ISO 3166 code

GB-ELN

Largest city

Musselburgh

East Lothian is a beautiful area in eastern Scotland. It is one of Scotland's 32 council areas, which are like local government regions. It's also a historic county, meaning it has a long history as a distinct area.

East Lothian is located south of the Firth of Forth, which is a large bay. It borders Edinburgh to the west, Midlothian to the southwest, and the Scottish Borders to the south. The main town and administrative center is Haddington, while the largest town is Musselburgh.

This area was known as Haddingtonshire until 1921. It has very old roots, being mentioned in old documents from the 1100s. Three of its towns – Haddington, Dunbar, and North Berwick – were once special "royal burghs," which were important towns with special rights from the king.

East Lothian was part of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Bernicia a long time ago. Later, it became part of the Kingdom of Northumbria. A famous legend says that the flag of Scotland was created in the East Lothian village of Athelstaneford after a battle in 823. From the 900s, Lothian became part of Scotland. It was a key place for battles between England and Scotland. Later, a big victory for the Jacobites (supporters of the Stuart kings) happened here at the Battle of Prestonpans. In the 1800s, East Lothian was known for its farms, fishing, and coal mining.

Exploring East Lothian's Past
East Lothian's Natural Beauty
Getting Around East Lothian
- Roads
- Public Transport
People of East Lothian
Fun Places to Visit
Towns and Villages
Learning in East Lothian
Culture and Community
Special Honors
Images for kids
See also

Exploring East Lothian's Past

How East Lothian Began

After the Romans left Britain, the area now known as Lothian was home to people who spoke a language called Brythonic. This area was part of a kingdom called Gododdin. In the 600s, the Angles took over this land, and Lothian became part of the kingdom of Bernicia.

Bernicia later joined with other areas to form the Kingdom of Northumbria, which was part of early England. However, by the 900s, the Scottish kings gained control of Lothian. The first mention of the "shire" (or county) of Haddington, or Haddingtonshire, was in the 1100s. It covered the eastern part of Lothian.

Castles and Conflicts in History

Dirleton Castle, a historic fortress in East Lothian.

Haddingtonshire was a busy place during many old wars. You can still see many strong castles and buildings from this time, like Dunbar Castle, Tantallon Castle, and Dirleton Castle.

In the 1100s and 1200s, the Palace of Haddington was one of the homes for the Kings of Scotland. King William the Lion stayed there, and his son, Alexander II, was born there in 1198. Sadly, the palace and town were burned by an English army in 1216. In 1296, a big battle happened at Dunbar, where the English army won against the Scottish king.

East Lothian also saw fighting during a war called the Rough Wooing in the 1500s. Many homes and villages were burned by the English. Later, during the War of the Three Kingdoms, another Battle of Dunbar took place in 1650. English forces won this battle and then marched on to take Edinburgh.

After the kings returned to power and Scotland joined with England to form Great Britain, there were still conflicts. The Jacobites fought against the government. In September 1745, a major battle happened at Prestonpans in the west of the county. The Jacobites won a big victory there, but they were later defeated in another battle in 1746.

East Lothian in Modern Times

County Buildings in Haddington, once the main office for East Lothian's local government.

In 1890, the Haddingtonshire County Council was created to manage local affairs. This council was based at the County Buildings in Haddington.

In 1921, the council decided to change the county's name from Haddingtonshire to "East Lothian." The government agreed, and the change became official in November 1921.

Later, in 1975, Scotland's local government system changed. East Lothian became a "district" within a larger "region" called Lothian. Then, in 1996, Scotland changed its system again, creating 32 new local authorities. This is when the modern council area of East Lothian was officially formed, much like it is today.

East Lothian's Natural Beauty

East Lothian is mostly countryside. It has about 40 miles (64 km) of coastline along the Firth of Forth. Many towns are located along this coast, including Musselburgh, Prestonpans, Cockenzie and Port Seton, Longniddry, Gullane, North Berwick, and Dunbar. The coast has many interesting features like bays and headlands. There are also small islands off the coast near North Berwick, such as Fidra and Bass Rock.

Only two towns in East Lothian are not on the coast: Tranent and Haddington. To the south, you'll find the Lammermuir Hills, which form the border with Berwickshire. The highest point in the county, Meikle Says Law, is in these hills, standing at 535 meters (1,755 feet) tall. The River Tyne flows through Haddington and other villages, reaching the Firth of Forth near Belhaven. The River Esk flows through Musselburgh before emptying into the Firth of Forth.

Getting Around East Lothian

Roads

The main road, the A1, runs through East Lothian. It connects to the Scottish Borders in the south and Edinburgh in the north. The A1 is a dual carriageway (meaning it has two lanes in each direction) in East Lothian, with major exits for towns like Dunbar, Haddington, Tranent, Prestonpans, and Musselburgh.

Another important road is the A199, which starts in Leith and goes through Musselburgh, Wallyford, Tranent, Macmerry, and Haddington.

Public Transport

Dunbar railway station, a stop on the East Coast Main Line.

East Lothian has several railway stations. You can catch trains at East Linton, Dunbar, and Musselburgh on the East Coast Main Line. There are also stations at North Berwick, Drem, Longniddry, Prestonpans, and Wallyford on the North Berwick Line. Train companies like ScotRail, CrossCountry, and London North Eastern Railway serve these stations.

Buses are also a popular way to travel. Lothian Buses and its company East Coast Buses provide most of the services, connecting towns and villages in East Lothian to Edinburgh.

People of East Lothian

In 2019, the population of East Lothian was about 105,790 people. This number has been growing and is expected to reach over 120,000 by the 2030s. The area around Tranent, Wallyford, and Macmerry is growing the fastest.

Fun Places to Visit

East Lothian has many interesting places to explore:

Aberlady Bay
Bass Rock
Dirleton Castle
Dunglass Collegiate Church
Fa'side Castle
Fenton Barns Retail & Leisure Village
Hailes Castle
Hopetoun Monument
Lennoxlove historic house
Longniddry Bents
Muirfield Golf Links
Museum of Flight, East Fortune
North Berwick Harbour
North Berwick Law
Preston Mill
Prestongrange Industrial Heritage Museum
Scottish Seabird Centre, North Berwick
Seacliff Beach
Seton Collegiate Church
Tantallon Castle
Chesters Hill Fort
Torness Nuclear Power Station
Traprain Law
Yellowcraigs, a beach and conservation area

Towns and Villages

Here are the largest towns and villages in East Lothian by population:

Settlement	Population (2020)
Musselburgh	21100
Tranent	11910
Prestonpans	10460
Haddington	10360
Dunbar	10270
North Berwick	7840
Cockenzie	5370
Wallyford	3370
Gullane	2810
Longniddry	2340

Learning in East Lothian

Loretto School's historic Pinkie House.

East Lothian has many schools. There are six state-run high schools:

Dunbar Grammar School
Knox Academy in Haddington
Musselburgh Grammar School
North Berwick High School
Preston Lodge High School in Prestonpans
Ross High School in Tranent

There are also two private schools:

Loretto School in Musselburgh, which was founded in 1827.
Belhaven Hill School in Dunbar, a smaller school established in 1923.

In 2007, Queen Margaret University moved to a new campus in Musselburgh, making it the first university in East Lothian.

Culture and Community

East Lothian's Flag

The official Flag of East Lothian.

In 2017, East Lothian held a competition to design an official county flag. Many people entered, and in December 2018, the winning design was announced. It was created by Archie Martin, a local man from Musselburgh.

The flag features a saltire (a cross shape) to show that East Lothian is believed to be where Scotland's flag was first thought of. A gold cross represents the rich farmlands and East Lothian's history as a "granary" (a place that produces a lot of grain). A lion in the middle stands for the Haddington lion, and blue stripes represent the River Esk and River Tyne.

Local News and Radio

East Lothian has a local newspaper called the East Lothian Courier. It started in 1859 as the Haddingtonshire Courier and changed its name in 1971.

There are also two local community radio stations: East Coast FM, based in Haddington, and Radio Saltire, based in Tranent.

Famous People from East Lothian

Many interesting people have connections to East Lothian:

Alexander II (1198–1249), a King of Scots.
John Knox (c.1510-1572), a very important leader of the Protestant Reformation in Scotland.
Andrew Fletcher of Saltoun (1655–1716), a writer and politician.
Andrew Meikle (1719–1811), who invented the threshing machine, which helped farmers.
Rev. Dr. John Witherspoon (1723–1794), who signed the United States Declaration of Independence.
Robert Moffat (1795–1883), a missionary to Africa and father-in-law of David Livingstone.
Jane Welsh Carlyle (1801–1866), a famous letter-writer.
Samuel Smiles (1812–1904), author of the book Self-Help.
John Muir (1838–1914), known as the "father of the US National Parks" because he helped create them.
Arthur Balfour (1848–1930), who was a Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
Mollie Hunter (1922–2012), a Scottish writer.
John Bellany (1942–2013), a famous painter.
Rhona Cameron (born 1965), a comedian.