Preston was a village on the
East Lothian coast of Scotland, and is now a small part of the centre of
Prestonpans
Prestonpans ( gd, Baile an t-Sagairt, Scots language, 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 si ...
. It is to the east of
Prestongrange, and the southwest of
Cockenzie 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 crea ...
.
The name Preston means "priest town", and the monks of
Holyrood Abbey and
Newbattle Abbey
Newbattle Abbey ( gd, Abaid a' Bhatail Nuaidh) was a Cistercian monastery near the village of Newbattle in Midlothian, Scotland, which subsequently become a stately home and then an educational institution.
Monastery
It was founded in 1140 by ...
owned land there. The village was noted for St Jerome's Fair, held on the second Thursday of October. The chapmen of the area had formed themselves into a
guild
A guild ( ) is an association of artisans and merchants who oversee the practice of their craft/trade in a particular area. The earliest types of guild formed as organizations of tradesmen belonging to a professional association. They sometimes ...
and elected their office bearers at the fair.
Two of Preston's most important structures were
Preston Tower and Preston
mercat cross. The mercat cross which dates from 1617, is unique both in its integrity and in that it is the only such structure in Scotland still in its original location and form. It has eight compartments, two doorways, six alcoves with semi-circular mouldings of scallop shells. The latter are said to be an allusion to the pilgrim traffic between
North Berwick
North Berwick (; gd, Bearaig a Tuath) is a seaside town and former royal burgh in East Lothian, Scotland. It is situated on the south shore of the Firth of Forth, approximately east-northeast of Edinburgh. North Berwick became a fashionable ...
and
St Andrews.
Preston Tower belonged to the
Hamilton family
The Hamiltons of the United States are a family of Scottish origin, whose most prominent member was Alexander Hamilton (1755/57–1804), one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. Their ancestors and relations in Scotland included the Lair ...
(also known as the "haughty Hamiltons") who owned ten strongholds including Preston House, Hamilton House, East Lothian, Hamilton House, Innerwick Castle and Brodick Castle, Isle of Arran, Arran.
Other notable buildings on the site of the former village of Preston include Northfield House, East Lothian, Northfield House and Preston Lodge, pictured on the right.
See also
*List of places in East Lothian
*Morrison's Haven
*Prestongrange Industrial Heritage Museum
*Prestongrange House
*Barony of Preston and Prestonpans
Photo gallery
Image:PrestonMercatCross1.jpg
Image:PrestonMercatCross4.jpg
Image:PrestonMercatCross3.jpg
Image:PrestonMercatCross2.jpg
External links
Castles Uncovered - Preston Tower
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Villages in East Lothian
Prestonpans