East Lothian (; sco, East Lowden; gd, Lodainn an Ear) is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, as well as a historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area. The county was called Haddingtonshire until 1921. In 1975, the historic county was incorporated for

local government Local government is a generic term for the lowest tiers of public administration within a particular sovereign state. This particular usage of the word government refers specifically to a level of administration that is both geographically-lo ...

purposes into Lothian Region as East Lothian District, with some slight alterations of its boundaries. The Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994 later created East Lothian as one of 32 modern council areas. East Lothian lies south of the Firth of Forth in the eastern central Lowlands of Scotland. It borders

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

to the west,

Midlothian Midlothian (; gd, Meadhan Lodainn) is a historic county, registration county, lieutenancy area and one of 32 council areas of Scotland used for local government. Midlothian lies in the east-central Lowlands, bordering the City of Edinburgh, ...

to the south-west and the

Scottish Borders The Scottish Borders ( sco, the Mairches, 'the Marches'; gd, Crìochan na h-Alba) is one of 32 council areas of Scotland. It borders the City of Edinburgh, Dumfries and Galloway, East Lothian, Midlothian, South Lanarkshire, West Lothi ...

to the south. Its administrative centre and former county town is Haddington while the largest town is

Musselburgh Musselburgh (; sco, Musselburrae; gd, Baile nam Feusgan) is the largest settlement in East Lothian, Scotland, on the coast of the Firth of Forth, east of Edinburgh city centre. It has a population of . History The name Musselburgh is Ol ...

. Haddingtonshire has ancient origins and is named in a charter of 1139 as ''Hadintunschira'' and in another of 1141 as ''Hadintunshire''. Three of the county's towns were designated as royal burghs: Haddington, Dunbar, and North Berwick. As with the rest of

Lothian Lothian (; sco, Lowden, Loudan, -en, -o(u)n; gd, Lodainn ) is a region of the Scottish Lowlands, lying between the southern shore of the Firth of Forth and the Lammermuir Hills and the Moorfoot Hills. The principal settlement is the Sco ...

, it formed part of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Bernicia and later the Kingdom of Northumbria. Popular legend suggests that it was at a battle between the Picts and Angles in the East Lothian village of

Athelstaneford Athelstaneford () is a village in East Lothian, Scotland. It lies almost 6 kilometres (3.5 mi) north-east of the market town of Haddington and about 28 kilometres (17 mi) east of Edinburgh. Battle of Athelstaneford According to popul ...

in 823 that the flag of Scotland was conceived. From the 10th century, Lothian transferred from the Kingdom of England to the authority of the monarchs of Scotland. It was a cross-point in battles between England and Scotland and later the site of a significant

Jacobite Jacobite means follower of Jacob or James. Jacobite may refer to: Religion * Jacobites, followers of Saint Jacob Baradaeus (died 578). Churches in the Jacobite tradition and sometimes called Jacobite include: ** Syriac Orthodox Church, sometimes ...

victory against Government forces in the Battle of Prestonpans. In the 19th century, the county is mentioned in the Gazetteer for Scotland as chiefly agricultural, with farming, fishing and coal-mining forming significant parts of the local economy.

History

Early history

Following the end of the Roman occupation of Britain, Lothian was populated by Brythonic-speaking Ancient Britons and formed part of the kingdom of the Gododdin, within the Hen Ogledd or Old North. In the 7th century, all of the Gododdin's territory fell to the Angles, with Lothian becoming part of the kingdom of Bernicia. Bernicia united into the Kingdom of Northumbria which itself became part of the early

Kingdom of England The Kingdom of England (, ) was a sovereign state on the island of Great Britain from 12 July 927, when it emerged from various Anglo-Saxon kingdoms, until 1 May 1707, when it united with Scotland to form the Kingdom of Great Britain. On ...

. Lothian came under the control of the Scottish monarchy in the 10th century. The earliest reference to the

shire Shire is a traditional term for an administrative division of land in Great Britain and some other English-speaking countries such as Australia and New Zealand. It is generally synonymous with county. It was first used in Wessex from the begin ...

of Haddington, or Haddingtonshire, occurred in the 12th century, in two charters issued by

King David David (; , "beloved one") (traditional spelling), , ''Dāwūd''; grc-koi, Δαυΐδ, Dauíd; la, Davidus, David; gez , ዳዊት, ''Dawit''; xcl, Դաւիթ, ''Dawitʿ''; cu, Давíдъ, ''Davidŭ''; possibly meaning "beloved one". w ...

. The shire covered the eastern part of Lothian.

Medieval and early modern period

Haddingtonshire was heavily involved in several medieval and early modern conflicts and several fortified castles and buildings such as Dunbar Castle,

Tantallon Castle Tantallon Castle is a ruined mid-14th-century fortress, located east of North Berwick, in East Lothian, Scotland. It sits atop a promontory opposite the Bass Rock, looking out onto the Firth of Forth. The last medieval curtain wall castle to ...

and

Dirleton Castle Dirleton Castle is a medieval fortress in the village of Dirleton, East Lothian, Scotland. It lies around west of North Berwick, and around east of Edinburgh. The oldest parts of the castle date to the 13th century, and it was abandoned by ...

date from this period. In the 12th and 13th centuries, the Palace of Haddington was one of the seats of the Kings of Scotland. King William the Lion of Scotland used the palace from time to time and it was the birthplace of Alexander II in 1198. The palace and town were burned and pillaged in 1216, by an English army under the command of King John of England. In 1296, the Battle of Dunbar was a decisive victory for the forces of

Edward I of England Edward I (17/18 June 1239 – 7 July 1307), also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 1272 to 1307. Concurrently, he ruled the duchies of Duchy of Aquitaine, Aquitaine and D ...

against the forces of John Balliol, the Scottish king who was Edward's vassal. Haddingtonshire was also the site of conflict during the war of the Rough Wooing, with many houses and villages burnt by the English in May 1544 after the sacking of Edinburgh, the Scottish defeat at the battle of Pinkie, Dunbar Castle burnt in 1548, and the siege of Haddington. Haddingtonshire lairds supported the English cause, including John Cockburn of Ormiston, Alexander Crichton of Brunstane, and Regent Arran demolished their houses. During the War of the Three Kingdoms, another Battle of Dunbar took place in 1650 between Scottish Covenanter forces and the Parliamentary forces under Oliver Cromwell. The Parliamentary forces were victorious and able to march on to take Edinburgh. Following the Restoration of the monarchy, Glorious Revolution and Acts of Union,

forces conflicted with Government forces, with the main conflict taking place as part of the

1715 Rising The Jacobite rising of 1715 ( gd, Bliadhna Sheumais ; or 'the Fifteen') was the attempt by James Edward Stuart (the Old Pretender) to regain the thrones of England, Ireland and Scotland for the exiled Stuarts. At Braemar, Aberdeenshire, lo ...

and 1745 Rising. Under the command of Sir John Cope, the British Army met with the Jacobites under Charles Edward Stuart at the Battle of Prestonpans in the west of the county in September 1745, with the Jacobite side gaining a significant victory before being defeated at the Battle of Culloden in April 1746.

Modern history

Haddington Sheriff Court (geograph 3774105)

Haddingtonshire County Council was created in 1890 under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1889, which established elected county councils across Scotland, taking over most of the functions of the Commissioners of Supply, which had been the main administrative body of the shire since 1667. The county council was based at County Buildings in Court Street, Haddington, which had been built in 1833 and also served as the county's sheriff court. In April 1921 the county council voted to request a change of the county's name from Haddingtonshire to "East Lothian". The government agreed and brought the change into effect as part of the East Lothian County Buildings Order Confirmation Act 1921, which received royal assent on 8 November 1921. The act also transferred ownership of the County Buildings to the county council. In 1975 under the

Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 The Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 (c. 65) is an Act of Parliament of the United Kingdom that altered local government in Scotland on 16 May 1975. The Act followed and largely implemented the report of the Royal Commission on Local Gove ...

, Scotland's county councils were dissolved and a new system of regional and district councils was created. East Lothian

District A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or county, counties, several municipality, municipa ...

was created within the wider

region In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and the interaction of humanity and t ...

. The district comprised the historic county of East Lothian plus the burgh of Musselburgh and the parish of Inveresk (which included Wallyford and Whitecraig) from the county of Midlothian. When further reforms in 1996 moved Scotland to a system of 32 unitary local authorities, the modern council area of East Lothian was created.

Geography

East Lothian is predominantly rural. It has of coastline where the towns of

, Prestonpans, Cockenzie and Port Seton, Gullane, North Berwick and Dunbar lie along the coast of the Firth of Forth. The coast has several headlands and bays, most notably Gosford Bay, Aberlady Bay,

Gullane Point Gullane ( or ) is a town on the southern shore of the Firth of Forth in East Lothian on the east coast of Scotland. There has been a church in the village since the ninth century. The ruins of the Old Church of St. Andrew built in the twel ...

Sandy Hirst Sandy may refer to: People and fictional characters *Sandy (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters * Sandy (surname), a list of people *Sandy (singer), Brazilian singer and actress Sandy Leah Lima (born 1983) *(Sandy) A ...

Tyne Mouth Tyne may refer to: __NOTOC__ Geography * River Tyne, England *Port of Tyne, the commercial docks in and around the River Tyne in Tyne and Wear, England *River Tyne, Scotland * River Tyne, a tributary of the South Esk River, Tasmania, Australia Peop ...

Belhaven Bay Belhaven may refer to: Places United Kingdom *Lord Belhaven and Stenton *Belhaven, Scotland **Belhaven Hill School, commonly referred to as "Belhaven" United States *Belhaven, North Carolina *Alexandria, Virginia, formerly named Belhaven. *Belhav ...

Barns Ness A barn is an agricultural building usually on farms and used for various purposes. In North America, a barn refers to structures that house livestock, including cattle and horses, as well as equipment and fodder, and often grain.Allen G. N ...

Chapel Point A chapel is a Christian place of prayer and worship that is usually relatively small. The term has several meanings. Firstly, smaller spaces inside a church that have their own altar are often called chapels; the Lady chapel is a common type ...

and

Torness Point Torness nuclear power station is a nuclear power station located approximately east of Edinburgh at Torness Point near Dunbar in East Lothian, Scotland. It was the last of the United Kingdom's second generation nuclear power plants to be commi ...

. There are several small islands off the coast north of North Berwick, the largest of these being Fidra, Lamb, Craigleith and Bass Rock. Only two towns are landlocked, Tranent and Haddington. To the south are the

Lammermuir Hills The Lammermuirs are a range of hills in southern Scotland, forming a natural boundary between East Lothian and the Borders. The name "Lammermuir" comes from the Old English ''lambra mōr'', meaning "moorland of the lambs". Geology The Lammer ...

along the boundary with Berwickshire; it is here that Meikle Says Law, the highest point in the county at , can be found. The

River Tyne The River Tyne is a river in North East England. Its length (excluding tributaries) is . It is formed by the North Tyne and the South Tyne, which converge at Warden, Northumberland, Warden Rock near Hexham in Northumberland at a place dubbed ' ...

flows through Haddington and several of East Lothian's villages, reaching the Firth of Forth near Belhaven. The River Esk flows through Inveresk and Musselburgh where it empties at the north of the town into the Firth of Forth. Major bodies of water include Pressmennan Lake, the

Whiteadder Reservoir Whiteadder Reservoir is a reservoir in East Lothian, Scotland, UK, in the Lammermuir Hills, north west of Duns in the Scottish Borders, and five miles (8 km) south east of Garvald. It was created to provide additional water facilities ...

Hopes Reservoir Hopes Reservoir is a small reservoir in East Lothian, Scotland, in the Lammermuir Hills. It is located in the parish of Yester, south of the village of Gifford and east of the hill Lammer Law. It is fed by the Hopes Water which flows northwa ...

, Stobshiel Reservoir and Lammerloch Reservoir. File:Physicalmapjoined.jpg, Orographical Map of East Lothian File:WhiteadderReservoir01.jpg, The Whiteadder Reservoir File:BassRockNB.JPG, Bass Rock in the Firth of Forth File:Traprain Law from the north.JPG, Traprain Law File:Geomapjoined.jpg, Geological Map of East Lothian

Transport

Road

The

A1 road A list of roads designated A1, sorted by alphabetical order of country. * A01 highway (Afghanistan), a long ring road or beltway connecting Kabul, Kandahar, Herat and Mazar * A1 motorway (Albania), connecting Durrës and Kukës * A001 highwa ...

travels through East Lothian where it meets the Scottish Borders southbound and Edinburgh northbound. The A1 throughout East Lothian is dual carriageway and major junctions include Dunbar, Haddington, Tranent, Prestonpans and Musselburgh. Starting in Leith, the A199 road also travels through East Lothian beginning at Musselburgh and passing through Wallyford, Tranent, Macmerry and Haddington before joining the A1 in

West Barns West Barns is a small village in East Lothian, Scotland. It lies 2 miles west of Dunbar and approximately 28 miles east of Edinburgh. It is close to John Muir Country Park and Belhaven Bay. For many years, it was home to the West Barns Inn and is ...

. Some non-primary routes in East Lothian are the A198, A1087, A6093 and A6137 roads.

Public transport

Dunbar railway station, East Lothian - view south

East Lothian is served by seven railway stations: Dunbar and

on the East Coast Main Line; and North Berwick, Drem, Longniddry, Prestonpans and Wallyford on the North Berwick Line. Rail service operators which travel through and stop at stations in the area include:

ScotRail ScotRail Trains Limited, trading as ScotRail ( gd, Rèile na h-Alba), is a Scottish train operating company that is publicly owned by Scottish Rail Holdings on behalf of the Scottish Government. It has been operating the ScotRail franchise a ...

on both lines; and CrossCountry and

London North Eastern Railway London North Eastern Railway (LNER) is a British train operating company. It is owned by the DfT OLR Holdings for the Department for Transport (DfT). The company's name echoes that of the London and North Eastern Railway, one of the Big Four ...

on the East Coast Main Line. Bus operators in East Lothian are: Lothian Buses and its subsidiary East Coast Buses, Eve Coaches of Dunbar, Prentice of Haddington and Borders Buses. East Coast Buses is the main bus service provider connecting the towns and villages of East Lothian to Edinburgh. The company has depots in North Berwick and Musselburgh.

Demography

The population of East Lothian as of 2019 is 105,790. This is an increase of over 6,000 since 2011 and this is projected to reach over 120,000 by the 2030s. The fastest growing district in East Lothian is the Tranent, Wallyford and Macmerry ward which is expected to see its population of just over 20,000 increase to just under 30,000 by 2026.

Ethnicity

Population by major ethnic group in East Lothian according to the 2011 Scottish census is as follows:

Politics

In the 2014 Scottish independence referendum, a majority of voters in the East Lothian council area opted for Scotland to remain a part of the United Kingdom - with 61.72% casting their ballots for the Union and 38.28% voting for independence.

Parliament of the United Kingdom

East Lothian is a constituency in the House of Commons, electing one

Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with Bicameralism, bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house ...

. It is one of only 4 UK Parliamentary Constituencies in Scotland which matches the boundaries of its Local Authority area. The other examples being Inverclyde,

Moray Moray () gd, Moireibh or ') is one of the 32 local government council areas of Scotland. It lies in the north-east of the country, with a coastline on the Moray Firth, and borders the council areas of Aberdeenshire and Highland (council area), ...

, and

Na h-Eileanan an Iar The Outer Hebrides () or Western Isles ( gd, Na h-Eileanan Siar or or ("islands of the strangers"); sco, Waster Isles), sometimes known as the Long Isle/Long Island ( gd, An t-Eilean Fada, links=no), is an Archipelago, island chain off t ...

, East Lothian is one of the few UK Parliamentary Constituencies which fully covers the boundaries of its Council area. The current MP for East Lothian is Kenny MacAskill of the Alba Party, who has represented the constituency since the 2019 general election when he was elected for the SNP. Former UK Prime Minister Arthur Balfour was born on 25 July 1848 at Whittingehame House in what is now the East Lothian constituency. Haddington

Scottish Parliament

Most of East Lothian is in the East Lothian Scottish Parliament constituency and

South Scotland South Scotland is one of the eight electoral regions of the Scottish Parliament. Nine of the parliament's 73 first past the post constituencies are sub-divisions of the region and it elects seven of the 56 additional-member Members of the S ...

region with the exception of Musselburgh which is in Midlothian North and Musselburgh and the

Lothians Lothian (; sco, Lowden, Loudan, -en, -o(u)n; gd, Lodainn ) is a region of the Scottish Lowlands, lying between the southern shore of the Firth of Forth and the Lammermuir Hills and the Moorfoot Hills. The principal settlement is the Sc ...

region.

Local government

East Lothian Council is based in the historic county town of Haddington, with the council meeting at the Haddington Town House and offices at nearby at John Muir House. The unitary local authority contains six wards, electing 22 councillors.

Places of interest

* Aberlady Bay * Bass Rock *

Dunglass Collegiate Church Dunglass Collegiate Church is situated in south-east East Lothian just off the old A1 highway, one mile north of Cockburnspath in Berwickshire, Scotland, UK. It is designated as a scheduled monument. History The date of building the Chapel, dedic ...

* Fa'side Castle * Fenton Barns Retail & Leisure Village * Hailes Castle *

Hopetoun Monument The Hopetoun Monument is a monument in the Garleton Hills, near Camptoun, East Lothian, Scotland. It is tall and is situated on Byres Hill near Haddington. History The monument was erected in 1824 in memory of John Hope, 4th Earl of Hopetou ...

* 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 The Scottish Seabird Centre is a marine conservation and education charity, that is supported by a 5 star visitor attraction in North Berwick, East Lothian, Scotland. Opened by HRH Duke of Rothesay in 2000 and funded by the Millennium Commission ...

, North Berwick * Seacliff Beach * Seton Collegiate Church *

Chesters Hill Fort Chesters Hill Fort is an Iron Age hill fort in East Lothian, Scotland. It lies south of Drem, east of Ballencrieff Castle Ballencrieff Castle, also known as Ballencrieff House, is a large tower house at Ballencrieff, East Lothian, Scotla ...

* Torness Nuclear Power Station * Traprain Law * Yellowcraigs, a beach and conservation area

Towns and villages

* Aberlady *

* Auldhame * Ballencrieff * Bara * Belhaven * Biel *

Bilsdean Bilsdean is a village between Thorntonloch and Cockburnspath on the East Lothian East Lothian (; sco, East Lowden; gd, Lodainn an Ear) is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, as well as a historic county, registration county and l ...

Bolton Bolton (, locally ) is a large town in Greater Manchester in North West England, formerly a part of Lancashire. A former mill town, Bolton has been a production centre for textiles since Flemish weavers settled in the area in the 14th ce ...

* Broxburn * Canty Bay * Cockenzie * Dirleton * Drem * Dunbar * Dunglass * East Fortune * East Linton *

East Saltoun East Saltoun and West Saltoun are separate villages in East Lothian, Scotland, about 5 miles (8 kilometres) south-west of Haddington, East Lothian, Haddington and 20 miles (32 kilometres) east of Edinburgh. Geography The villages of East Salto ...

* Elphinstone * Fenton Barns * Fisherrow (''historically within Midlothian'') * Garvald * Gifford * Gladsmuir * Glenkinchie * Gullane * Haddington * Humbie *

Innerwick Innerwick ( gd, Inbhir Mhuice) is a coastal civil parish and small village, which lies in the east of East Lothian, from Dunbar and approximately from Edinburgh. Name The name Innerwick is of Anglo-saxon origin and means inland farm or dw ...

* Inveresk (''historically within Midlothian'') *

Kingston Kingston may refer to: Places * List of places called Kingston, including the five most populated: ** Kingston, Jamaica ** Kingston upon Hull, England ** City of Kingston, Victoria, Australia ** Kingston, Ontario, Canada ** Kingston upon Thames, ...

* Longniddry * Luffness * Macmerry * Markle *

Monktonhall Musselburgh (; sco, Musselburrae; gd, Baile nam Feusgan) is the largest settlement in East Lothian, Scotland, on the coast of the Firth of Forth, east of Edinburgh city centre. It has a population of . History The name Musselburgh is Old ...

(''historically within Midlothian'') *

(''historically within Midlothian'') * North Berwick * Oldhamstocks * Ormiston *

Peaston Peaston is a small settlement on the B6371 road in the parish of Ormiston in East Lothian, Scotland, about south-east of Edinburgh, south-west of Haddington, east of Ormiston and east of Pencaitland Pencaitland is a village in East Lo ...

Pencaitland Pencaitland is a village in East Lothian, Scotland, about south-east of Edinburgh, south-west of Haddington, and east of Ormiston. The land where the village lies is said to have been granted by William the Lion to Calum Cormack in 1169, ...

* Phantassie * Port Seton *

Preston Preston is a place name, surname and given name that may refer to: Places England *Preston, Lancashire, an urban settlement **The City of Preston, Lancashire, a borough and non-metropolitan district which contains the settlement **County Boro ...

* Prestonpans * Samuelston * Scoughall * Spittal *

Spott Spott is a small village on the eastern fringes of East Lothian in Scotland, just over south-west of Dunbar. The village straddles an unclassified road leading from the main A1 road (Great Britain), A1 highway at . History There is believed t ...

* Stenton * Tranent * Tyninghame * Wallyford (''historically within Midlothian'') *

* West Saltoun * Whitecraig (''historically within Midlothian'') * Whitekirk and Tyninghame * Whittingehame

Civil parishes

In 1894, John Martine published ''Reminiscences and Notices of Ten Parishes of the County of Haddington''. * Aberlady *

* Dirleton * Dunbar * Garvald * Gladsmuir * Haddington * Humbie *

* Morham * North Berwick * Oldhamstocks * Ormiston *

Prestonkirk East Linton is a village and former police burgh in East Lothian, Scotland, situated on the River Tyne and A199 road (former A1 road) five miles east of Haddington, with an estimated population of in . During the 19th century the population ...

* Prestonpans *

Saltoun East Saltoun and West Saltoun are separate villages in East Lothian, Scotland, about 5 miles (8 kilometres) south-west of Haddington and 20 miles (32 kilometres) east of Edinburgh. Geography The villages of East Saltoun and West Saltoun, toge ...

* Stenton * Tranent * Whittingehame * Whitekirk and Tyninghame *

Yester } Gifford is a village in the parish of Yester in East Lothian, Scotland. It lies approximately south of Haddington and east of Edinburgh. It groups around the Colstoun Water (locally called Gifford Water) at the junction of the B6369 and B6 ...

Education

There are a range of schools in the county, including six

state State may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State * ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States * '' Our ...

secondaries: Dunbar Grammar School, Knox Academy (formerly the Grammar School) in Haddington,

Musselburgh Grammar School Musselburgh Grammar School a state-funded secondary school in Musselburgh, East Lothian, Scotland. It serves as the main secondary school for Musselburgh and the surrounding areas of Wallyford and Whitecraig. The school dates back to the sixtee ...

, North Berwick High School, Preston Lodge High School in Prestonpans and Ross High School in Tranent. There are two

independent school An independent school is independent in its finances and governance. Also known as private schools, non-governmental, privately funded, or non-state schools, they are not administered by local, state or national governments. In British ...

s in the county. Loretto School is a day and boarding school in Musselburgh founded in 1827 and Belhaven Hill School, established in 1923 is a smaller preparatory school in Dunbar also providing boarding. In 2007, Queen Margaret University began its move to a new, purpose-built campus in Musselburgh within East Lothian, providing it with its first university.

Culture and community

Symbols

In November 2017, a county flag competition was launched in East Lothian to register an official

flag of East Lothian The East Lothian flag is the flag of the Scottish county of East Lothian (Haddingtonshire). It was registered with the Flag Institute on 13 December 2018 following its announcement at a reception hosted by the Lord Provost. Design This saltire ...

. Anyone willing to enter this competition was allowed to enter, which resulted in 623 entries to the competition. The end of the entry submission time was the 28th of February 2018. Four final flag designs will be placed in a vote to the residents of East Lothian. In December 2018 the winning design was announced, designed by Archie Martin, a local man from

and residing in Gifford who had worked for the council for 23 years. Martin died in July 2018. The flag features a saltire representing East Lothian as the birthplace of Scotland's flag. A gold cross signifies the wealth of East Lothian's farmlands and reputation as the granary of Scotland with a lion in the centre representing the Haddington lion along with blue stripes to represent the rivers Esk and

Tyne Tyne may refer to: __NOTOC__ Geography * River Tyne, England *Port of Tyne, the commercial docks in and around the River Tyne in Tyne and Wear, England *River Tyne, Scotland * River Tyne, a tributary of the South Esk River, Tasmania, Australia Peop ...

Local media

East Lothian is served by two local paid-for weekly newspapers, the ''East Lothian Courier'' and the ''East Lothian News''. The ''East Lothian Courier'' (often locally "The Courier") began as the Haddingtonshire Courier in 1859, before changing its name in 1971. It was owned by D&J Croal, based in Haddington, until its purchase by the Dunfermline Press Group in 2004. The ''East Lothian News'' was first published in 1971, as part of Scottish County Press Group, with editorial offices in Dalkeith and printing at Bonnyrigg (both in Midlothian). The Scottish County Press Group was acquired by Regional Independent Media in 2000, which was in turn bought by

Johnston Press Johnston Press plc was a multimedia company founded in Falkirk, Scotland, in 1767. Its flagship titles included UK-national newspaper the '' i'', ''The Scotsman'', the ''Yorkshire Post'', the ''Falkirk Herald'', and Belfast's ''The News Letter'' ...

in 2002. There are two local community radio stations in East Lothian, broadcasting on FM and online. East Coast FM, based in Haddington, has been broadcasting since 2009. Radio Saltire, formerly East Lothian FM, is now based in Tranent.

Notable people (by date of death)

* Gospatric II, Earl of Lothian, d.1138 * Gospatric III, Earl of Lothian, d.1166 * Waltheof, Earl of Dunbar, d.1182 * Alexander II, King of

Scots Scots usually refers to something of, from, or related to Scotland, including: * Scots language, a language of the West Germanic language family native to Scotland * Scots people, a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland * Scoti, a Latin na ...

, 1198–1249 *

Black Agnes Agnes Randolph, Countess of Dunbar and March ( 1312 – 1369), known as Black Agnes for her dark complexion, was the wife of Patrick, 9th Earl of Dunbar and March. She is buried in the vault near Mordington House. She was the daughter of Tho ...

, 4th Countess of

, c.1312-1369 * Abbot Walter Bower, ca.1385–1449, canon regular of Inchcolm Abbey, chronicler, born about at Haddington * Sawney Bean, cannibal and

outlaw An outlaw, in its original and legal meaning, is a person declared as outside the protection of the law. In pre-modern societies, all legal protection was withdrawn from the criminal, so that anyone was legally empowered to persecute or kill them ...

, 15th to 16th century * William Dunbar,

medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...

poet, 1460–1520 * John Mair or Major,

philosopher A philosopher is a person who practices or investigates philosophy. The term ''philosopher'' comes from the grc, φιλόσοφος, , translit=philosophos, meaning 'lover of wisdom'. The coining of the term has been attributed to the Greek th ...

, 1467–1550 *

John Knox John Knox ( gd, Iain Cnocc) (born – 24 November 1572) was a Scottish minister, Reformed theologian, and writer who was a leader of the country's Reformation. He was the founder of the Presbyterian Church of Scotland. Born in Giffordgat ...

, leading Protestant reformer in Scotland and founder of Presbyterianism, c.1510-1572 * John Cockburn of Ormiston, (d.1583) early supporter of the Scottish Reformation * Ninian Cockburn (d.1579), soldier, an officer of the Garde Écossaise, political intriguer *

Andrew Fletcher of Saltoun Andrew Fletcher of Saltoun (1655 – September 1716) was a Scottish writer and politician, remembered as an advocate for the non-incorporation of Scotland, and an opponent of the 1707 Act of Union between Scotland and England. Fletcher became ...

(1655–1716), writer, politician, soldier and patriot * Adam Cockburn, Laird of Ormiston, Lord Ormiston (1656–1735), administrator, politician and judge * John Cockburn, agricultural improver, 1695–1758 * Andrew Meikle, inventor of the Threshing machine, 1719–1811 * John Brown of Haddington, 1722–1787 * Rev. Dr. John Witherspoon, a signatory to the United States Declaration of Independence, 1723–1794 * George Brodie (1786?-1867), historian * Robert Cadell (1788–1849), bookseller and publisher, closely associated with Sir Walter Scott * Robert Moffat 1795–1883, Congregationalist missionary to Africa, and father in law of David Livingstone * Jane Welsh Carlyle, 1801–1866, letter-writer, and wife of Thomas Carlyle, 1801–1866 * Sir William Fergusson, 1st Baronet,

surgeon In modern medicine, a surgeon is a medical professional who performs surgery. Although there are different traditions in different times and places, a modern surgeon usually is also a licensed physician or received the same medical training a ...

, 1808–1877 *

Samuel Smiles Samuel Smiles (23 December 1812 – 16 April 1904) was a British author and government reformer. Although he campaigned on a Chartist platform, he promoted the idea that more progress would come from new attitudes than from new laws. His prim ...

, author of

Self-Help Self-help or self-improvement is a self-guided improvement''APA Dictionary of Physicology'', 1st ed., Gary R. VandenBos, ed., Washington: American Psychological Association, 2007.—economically, intellectually, or emotionally—often with a subst ...

, 1812–1904 * Mary Balfour Herbert, watercolour painter, 1817–1893 *

Samuel Morison Brown Samuel Morison Brown (February 23 1817 – 20 September 1856), Scottish chemist, poet and essayist. Life Brown was born at Haddington, East Lothian, the fourth son of Samuel Brown, the founder of itinerating libraries, and grandson of John B ...

chemist A chemist (from Greek ''chēm(ía)'' alchemy; replacing ''chymist'' from Medieval Latin ''alchemist'') is a scientist trained in the study of chemistry. Chemists study the composition of matter and its properties. Chemists carefully describe ...

, poet and essayist, 1817–1856 * John Muir, father of the US National Parks, 1838–1914 * Eleanor Mildred Sidgwick, Principal of Newnham College, 1845–1936 * James Porteous, inventor of the Fresno Scraper, 1848–1922 *

Peter Hume Brown Peter Hume Brown, Fellow of the British Academy, FBA (17 December 1849 – 1 December 1918) was a Scottish historian and professor who played an important part in establishing Scottish history as a significant academic discipline. As well as tea ...

, historian, 1849–1918 * Arthur Balfour (1848-1930), Prime Minister, 1902–1905 * Eleanor Mildred Sidgwick (1845-1936), mathematician and co-founder of

Newham College Newham College is a large general further education college in the London Borough of Newham, England, established in 1985. The college's main site is in East Ham, with a further site in Stratford and six further local neighbourhood learning cen ...

University of Cambridge , mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts. Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge. , established = , other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...

* William George Nicholson Geddes 1913–1993, civil engineer * Maureen Mollie Hunter McIlwraith, commonly known as Mollie Hunter 1922–2012, Scottish writer * Peter Kerr b.1940, best-selling author of travel books and fiction * John Bellany,

painter Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface (called the "matrix" or "support"). The medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush, but other implements, such as knives, sponges, and ai ...

, 1942-2013 * Rhona Cameron, comedian and activist, b.1965 A number of sports personalities also have links with East Lothian: * Willie Anderson, golfer, four times U.S. Open Golf Champion, 1901, 1903–05 * Ian Black, professional footballer * Callum Booth, professional footballer * Billy Brown, football coach * Kenny Miller, professional footballer * Colin Nish, professional footballer * Jim Calder rugby union player * Gary Anderson, Darts player * Andrew Driver, professional footballer * Danny Handling, professional footballer *

Jason Holt Jason Derek Holt (born 19 February 1993) is a Scottish professional footballer, who plays as a midfielder for Scottish Premiership club Livingston. Holt has also previously played for Heart of Midlothian, Raith Rovers, Sheffield United, Fle ...

, Professional footballer *

David Huish David Huish (born 23 April 1944) is a Scottish professional golfer, perhaps best known for being the halfway leader of The Open Championship in 1975. Personal life Huish (pronounced "hush") was born in North Berwick, Scotland. He married his ...

, professional golfer * Allan Jacobsen, rugby union player *

Jim Jefferies Geoff James Nugent (born 14 February 1977), known professionally as Jim Jefferies, is an Australian comedian, actor, and writer who holds dual Australian and American citizenship. He created and starred in the American FX sitcom ''Legit'' (2 ...

, football manager *

John McGlynn John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second ...

, football manager *

Catriona Matthew Catriona Isobel Matthew (née Lambert; born 25 August 1969) is a Scottish professional golfer who plays mainly on the US-based LPGA Tour and is also a member of the Ladies European Tour. Amateur career Catriona Lambert was born in Edinburgh, a ...

, golfer * Mathew Dawson, racehorse trainer *

Euan Burton Euan Michael Burton MBE (born 31 March 1979) is a Scottish judoka (a Judo practitioner). Biography Burton was born in Ascot, Berkshire but lives in Edinburgh, he was educated at Pencaitland Primary School, Ross High School and the Univer ...

judoka is an unarmed modern Japanese martial art, Olympic sport (since 1964), and the most prominent form of jacket wrestling competed internationally.『日本大百科全書』電子版【柔道】(CD-ROM version of Encyclopedia Nipponica, "Judo"). ...

and 2012 Olympics contender * Finlay Calder, rugby union player *

Ross Muir Ross Muir (born 6 October 1995 in Edinburgh) is a Scottish former professional snooker player. He regularly wears a glove on his bridge hand. Muir turned professional in 2013 after graduating from event two of the Q School, defeating David Mor ...

, professional snooker player * Scott Murray, rugby union player * Garry O'Connor, professional footballer *

Willie Ormond William Esplin Ormond (23 February 1927 – 4 May 1984) was a Scottish football player and manager. As a player, Ormond was well known as one of Hibernian's Famous Five forward line, winning three league championships in the late 1940s and ...

, footballer and manager *

Jock Taylor Jock Taylor (9 March 1954 – 15 August 1982) was a Scottish World Champion motorcycle sidecar racer. John Robert (Jock) Taylor was born in Pencaitland, East Lothian, and entered his first sidecar race at the age of 19, as the passenger to ...

, World Champion motorcycle sidecar racer * Ben Sayers, professional golfer & club maker * John White, footballer * Willie Wood (bowler), professional bowler *

Dean Brett Dean Brett (born 8 December 1992) is a Scottish footballer who plays as a right back or midfielder for Bonnyrigg Rose Athletic. Career Brett made his debut for Cowdenbeath in the 2009–10 season. In February 2017 he was suspended by the club ...

, footballer * Josh Taylor, boxer

Freedom of the County

The following people and military units have received the Freedom of the County of East Lothian.

Individuals

* John Bellany : 2004. *

: 2009.

Military Units

* 1st Battalion The Royal Scots Borderers: 2012. * E Squadron The Scottish and North Irish Yeomanry: 6 July 2019.

References

Bibliography

Church and parish histories: Presbytery of Haddington

* The Lamp of Lothian ; or, The History of Haddington. James Miller (new edition, 1900). * Reminiscences of the Royal Burgh of Haddington. John Martine (1883). * Reminiscences of the County of Haddington. John Martine (1890). * Reminiscences of the County of Haddington. Second Series, ed. E. J. Wilson (1895). * The History of Morham. David Louden (1889). * North Berwick and its Vicinity. George Ferrier (1875). * The Bass Rock, its Civil and Ecclesiastical History. Thomas M'Crie, D.D. (1847). * Emeralds chased in Gold. Rev. John Dickson (1899). * Prestonpans and Vicinity. P. M'Neill (1902). * Tranent and its Surroundings. P. M'Neill (1884). * East Lothian Studies. Louden and Whitfield (1891). * East Lothian. Charles E. Green (1907). * Sketches of East Lothian. D. Croal (1873).

Presbytery of Dunbar

* Coldingham: Parish and Priory otices of Cockburnspath, etc. A. Thomson (1908). * The History of Dunbar. James Miller (1859). * An Old Kirk Chronicle. Peter Hately Waddell, D.D. (1893). * The Churches of St Baldred. Rev. A. I. Ritchie (1880). * Saint Mary's, Whitekirk. Rev. E. B. Rankin (1914). * History of Berwickshire Naturalists' Club

or Cockburnspath, Oldhamstocks, etc. Or or OR may refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television * "O.R.", a 1974 episode of M*A*S*H * Or (My Treasure), a 2004 movie from Israel (''Or'' means "light" in Hebrew) Music * ''Or'' (album), a 2002 album by Golden Boy with Mis ...

External links

*
East Lothian Council
''official government website'' * {{Authority control Counties of Scotland Lieutenancy areas of Scotland Council areas of Scotland Counties of the United Kingdom (1801–1922)