Longniddry ( sco, Langniddry, gd, Nuadh-Treabh Fada)
is a coastal village in
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 lieutenancy area. The county was called Haddingtonshire until 1921.
In 1975, the his ...
, Scotland, with an estimated population of in . The
Scottish Women's Rural Institute was founded here in 1917.
Features
Longniddry is primarily a dormitory village for
commuters, with good transport links by road and rail (
Longniddry railway station is on the
North Berwick Line) to the capital, some 12 miles to the West.
The village has a number of local, community based resources including local shops and Longniddry Community Centre, which also houses the library. Near to the library is the Scout Hall used by the Longniddry Scout Group. The golf course hosted the
Carling-Caledonian Tournament in 1961. Like many coastal towns in East Lothian, Longniddry has a sandy beach beside the golf course. This stretch of local coastline is lined with dunes and known as
Longniddry Bents.
History
The 18th century
Gosford House, which is the seat of the
Earl of Wemyss and March
Earl of Wemyss ( ) is a title in the Peerage of Scotland created in 1633. The Scottish Wemyss family had possessed the lands of Wemyss in Fife since the 12th century. Since 1823 the earldom has been held with the Earldom of March, created in ...
, stands on the eastern edge of the village.
In 1917 the first meeting of the
Scottish Women's Rural Institute took place in Longniddry organised by
Catherine Hogg Blair. 37 women became members.
In 2006, Longniddry and the neighbouring towns of
Prestonpans
Prestonpans ( gd, Baile an t-Sagairt, Scots: ''The Pans'') is a small mining town, situated approximately eight miles east of Edinburgh, Scotland, in the Council area of East Lothian. The population as of is. It is near the site of the 17 ...
,
Cockenzie
Cockenzie and Port Seton ( sco, Cockennie ; gd, Cùil Choinnich, meaning "cove of Kenneth") is a unified town in East Lothian, Scotland. It is on the coast of the Firth of Forth, four miles east of Musselburgh. The burgh of Cockenzie was creat ...
and
Port Seton
Cockenzie and Port Seton ( sco, Cockennie ; gd, Cùil Choinnich, meaning "cove of Kenneth") is a unified town in East Lothian, Scotland. It is on the coast of the Firth of Forth, four miles east of Musselburgh. The burgh of Cockenzie was creat ...
were twinned with the town of
Barga, Tuscany,
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
.
Notable people
*
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 ...
, main figure in the Scottish Reformation and disciple of
John Calvin
John Calvin (; frm, Jehan Cauvin; french: link=no, Jean Calvin ; 10 July 150927 May 1564) was a French theologian, pastor and reformer in Geneva during the Protestant Reformation. He was a principal figure in the development of the system ...
was tutor to the sons of the Douglas family who lived at the west side of the village.
*
George Douglas of Longniddry, Scottish courtier
*
Sir Norman Graham, head of Scottish Education Department
*
Hugh MacDiarmid
Christopher Murray Grieve (11 August 1892 – 9 September 1978), best known by his pen name Hugh MacDiarmid (), was a Scottish poet, journalist, essayist and political figure. He is considered one of the principal forces behind the Scottish Rena ...
, the Scottish poet, lived in Longniddry for a short while.
* James Bond actor
Pierce Brosnan
Pierce Brendan Brosnan (; born 16 May 1953) is an Irish actor and film producer. He is best known as the fifth actor to play secret agent James Bond in the Bond film series, starring in four films from 1995 to 2002 (''GoldenEye'', ''Tomorrow ...
lived in Longniddry from August 1964 with his mother and new stepfather William Carmichael before moving to London.
*
Mollie Hunter, winner of the 1974 Carnegie Medal for outstanding books for children.
See also
*
Longniddry Bents
*
Longniddry Primary School
*
Longniddry railway station
*
List of places in East Lothian
References
External links
2001 Census Factsheet: Longniddry from East Lothian CouncilLongniddry Parish Church
{{Authority control
Villages in East Lothian