East Lothian

East Lothian Lodainn an Ear Aest Lowden
Location
Geography
Area	Ranked 18th
- Total	679 km2 (262 sq mi)
Admin HQ	Haddington
ISO 3166-2	GB-ELN
ONS code	00QM
Demographics
Population	Ranked 21st
- Total (2008)	96,100
- Density	142 /km2 (368 /sq mi)
Politics
East Lothian Council http://www.eastlothian.gov.uk/
Control	Scottish National Party/Liberal Democrat
MPs	Anne Moffat
MSPs	Kenny MacAskill Iain Gray

East Lothian (Scots: Aest Lowden, Scottish Gaelic: Siorrachd Lodainn an Ear) is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, and a lieutenancy Area. It borders the City of Edinburgh, Scottish Borders and Midlothian. Its administrative centre is Haddington, although its largest town is Musselburgh.

The council area was created in 1996, under the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994, with the boundaries of the East Lothian district of the Lothian region. The district had been created in 1975, under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, and it consisted of the local government county of East Lothian, plus the burgh of Musselburgh and the Inveresk area, both formerly within the county of Midlothian.

When abolished, for local government purposes, in 1975, the county of East Lothian bordered the county of Midlothian to the west, and the county of Berwick to the south. The county was called Haddingtonshire until 1921. At this time, border changes saw several villages on the outskirts of Edinburgh (e.g. Whitecraig) become part of East Lothian.

Towns and villages

• Aberlady
• Athelstaneford
• Auldhame
• Ballencrieff
• Bolton
• Cockenzie
• Dirleton
• Drem
• Dunbar
• East Fortune
• East Linton
• East Saltoun
• Elphinstone
• Fenton Barns
• Garvald
• Gifford
• Gladsmuir
• Glenkinchie
• Gullane
• Haddington
• Humbie
• Innerwick
• Kingston
• Longniddry
• Luffness
• Macmerry
• Musselburgh
• North Berwick
• Ormiston
• Pencaitland
• Port Seton
• Prestonpans
• Stenton
• Scoughall
• Tranent
• Wallyford
• West Barns
• West Saltoun
• Whitecraig
• Whitekirk and Tyninghame
• Whittingehame
• Wellington

Places of interest

• Aberlady Bay
• Bass Rock
• Dirleton Castle
• Dunglass Collegiate Church
• Fenton Barns Retail & Leisure Village
• Hailes Castle
• Hopetoun Monument
• Lennoxlove historic house
• Longniddry Bents
• 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

Notable people from East Lothian

• 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, 1198–1249
• Black Agnes, 4th Countess of Moray, c.1312-1369
• Sawney Bean, cannibal and outlaw, 15th to 16th century
• William Dunbar, medieval poet, 1460–1520
• John Mair or Major, philosopher, 1467–1550
• John Knox, leading Protestant reformer in Scotland and founder of Presbyterianism, c.1510-1572
• John Cockburn, agricultural improver, 1695–1758
• Andrew Meikle, inventor of the Threshing machine, 1719–1811
• John Brown (theologian), 1722–1787
• Rev. Dr. John Witherspoon, signatory to the United States Declaration of Independence,1723–1794
• Jane Welsh Carlyle, 1801–1866, letter-writer, and wife of Thomas Carlyle, 1801–1866
• Sir William Fergusson, 1st Baronet, surgeon,1808–1877
• Samuel Smiles, author of Self-Help, 1812–1904
• Mary Balfour Herbert, watercolour painter, 1817–1893
• Samuel Morison Brown, chemist, 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, historian, 1849–1918
• Arthur Balfour, Prime Minister, 1902–1905
• John Bellany, painter, b.1942
• Rhona Cameron, comedienne and activist, b.1965

Sports Personalities from East Lothian

• Ian Black, professional footballer
• Andrew Driver, professional footballer
• Jim Jefferies, football manager
• Catriona Matthew, elite golfer
• Kenny Miller, professional footballer
• John McGlynn, football manager
• Scott Murray (rugby union), rugby union player
• Colin Nish, professional footballer
• Garry O'Connor, professional footballer
• Willie Ormond, footballer and manager
• Kris Renton, professional footballer
• Ben Sayers, professional golfer & club maker
• John White (footballer born 1937), footballer
• Willie Wood (bowler), professional bowler
• Finlay Calder, rugby union player

Local media

East Lothian is served by two local paid-for weekly newspapers, the East Lothian Courier and the East Lothian News. The Courier, the best-selling of the two, began life as the Haddingtonshire Courier in 1859, presumably updating its title when the county changed its name in 1921. The family firm of D.J. Croal, based in Haddington, owned and operated the paper until it was bought by the Dunfermline Press Group in 2004. The East Lothian News was first published in 1972, as part of Scottish County Press group, with editorial offices in Dalkeith and printing at Bonnyrigg (both in Midlothian). SCP was acquired by Regional Independent Media in 2000, which was in turn bought by Johnston Press in 2002.

East Lothian Council

East Lothian Council is based at John Muir House, Haddington

Council political compositions

• Scottish National Party - 9
• Labour - 7
• Liberal Democrat - 4
• Conservative - 2
• Independent - 1

External links

• East Lothian Council official government website
• East Lothian at the Open Directory Project
• East Lothian Directory
• East Lothian Courier
• East Lothian News