1.
Scottish Gaelic
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Scottish Gaelic or Scots Gaelic, sometimes also referred to as Gaelic, is a Celtic language native to Scotland. A member of the Goidelic branch of the Celtic languages, Scottish Gaelic, like Modern Irish and Manx, developed out of Middle Irish. The 2011 census of Scotland showed that a total of 57,375 people in Scotland could speak Gaelic at that time, the census results indicate a decline of 1,275 Gaelic speakers from 2001. A total of 87,056 people in 2011 reported having some facility with Gaelic compared to 93,282 people in 2001, only about half of speakers were fully literate in the language. Nevertheless, revival efforts exist and the number of speakers of the language under age 20 has increased, Scottish Gaelic is neither an official language of the European Union nor the United Kingdom. Outside Scotland, a group of dialects collectively known as Canadian Gaelic are spoken in parts of Atlantic Canada, mainly Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. In the 2011 census, there were 7,195 total speakers of Gaelic languages in Canada, with 1,365 in Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island where the responses mainly refer to Scottish Gaelic. About 2,320 Canadians in 2011 also claimed Gaelic languages as their mother tongue, with over 300 in Nova Scotia, aside from Scottish Gaelic, the language may also be referred to simply as Gaelic. In Scotland, the word Gaelic in reference to Scottish Gaelic specifically is pronounced, outside Ireland and Great Britain, Gaelic may refer to the Irish language. Scottish Gaelic should not be confused with Scots, the Middle English-derived language varieties which had come to be spoken in most of the Lowlands of Scotland by the modern era. Prior to the 15th century, these dialects were known as Inglis by its own speakers, from the late 15th century, however, it became increasingly common for such speakers to refer to Scottish Gaelic as Erse and the Lowland vernacular as Scottis. Today, Scottish Gaelic is recognised as a language from Irish. Gaelic in Scotland was mostly confined to Dál Riata until the 8th century, when it began expanding into Pictish areas north of the Firth of Forth, by 900, Pictish appears to have become extinct, completely replaced by Gaelic. An exception might be made for the Northern Isles, however, however, though the Pictish language did not disappear suddenly, a process of Gaelicisation was clearly underway during the reigns of Caustantín and his successors. By a certain point, probably during the 11th century, all the inhabitants of Alba had become fully Gaelicised Scots, by the 10th century, Gaelic had become the dominant language throughout northern and western Scotland, the Gaelo-Pictic Kingdom of Alba. Its spread to southern Scotland, was even and totalizing. Place name analysis suggests dense usage of Gaelic in Galloway and adjoining areas to the north and west as well as in West Lothian, less dense usage is suggested for north Ayrshire, Renfrewshire, the Clyde Valley and eastern Dumfriesshire. In south-eastern Scotland, there is no evidence that Gaelic was ever widely spoken, the area shifted from Cumbric to Old English during its long incorporation into the Anglo-Saxon Kingdom of Northumbria
2.
Haddington, East Lothian
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The Royal Burgh of Haddington is a town in East Lothian, Scotland. It lies about 20 miles east of Edinburgh, the name Haddington is Anglo-Saxon, dating from the 6th or 7th century AD when the area was incorporated into the kingdom of Bernicia. The town, like the rest of the Lothian region, was ceded by King Edgar of England, Haddington received burghal status, one of the earliest to do so, during the reign of David I, giving it trading rights which encouraged its growth into a market town. Today Haddington is a town with a population of less than 9,000, although during the High Middle Ages it was the fourth biggest city in Scotland after Aberdeen. In the middle of the town is the Town House, built in 1748 according to a plan by William Adam. When first built, it inheld a council chamber, jail and sheriff court, to which assembly rooms were added in 1788, nearby is the Corn Exchange and the County Courthouse. Other nearby notable sites include the Jane Welsh Carlyle House, Haddington is located predominantly on the northeast bank of the River Tyne, and was once famous for its mills. It developed into the fourth largest town in Scotland during the High Middle Ages, as a result of this, more factories were established, these included the New Mills. This factory suffered during the Civil War with the loss of its cloth to General Monck, the Scots Courant reported in 1712 that New Mills was to be rouped. The property was sold on 16 February 1713 and the machinery, the lands of New Mills were purchased by Colonel Francis Charteris and he changed their name to Amisfield. As the county town of East Lothian Haddington is the seat of East Lothian Council and this building occupies the site of Haddingtons 12th century royal palace & adjoins the sheriff court complex. As such Haddington is the home to East Lothians administration, a boost to the status, retailers based in Haddington include Tesco, Subway, Boots, and Greggs, amongst others. Haddington is also home to the offices of the newspaper the East Lothian Courier. There is a market held on the last Saturday of the month in Court Street. Amisfield House was located east of Haddington, south of the River Tyne, John Henderson built the walled garden in 1783, and the castellated stable block in 1785. The park in front of the house, possibly landscaped by James Bowie, is today entirely ploughed, a victim of dry rot, the house was demolished in 1928. All that remains of Amisfield today are the house, walled garden, ice house, chapel. Lennoxlove House, a historic 13th-century house and estate, lies half a mile south of Haddington, built by the Giffards of Yester, it was originally named Lethington
3.
Scotland
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Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and covers the northern third of the island of Great Britain. It shares a border with England to the south, and is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, with the North Sea to the east. In addition to the mainland, the country is made up of more than 790 islands, including the Northern Isles, the Kingdom of Scotland emerged as an independent sovereign state in the Early Middle Ages and continued to exist until 1707. By inheritance in 1603, James VI, King of Scots, became King of England and King of Ireland, Scotland subsequently entered into a political union with the Kingdom of England on 1 May 1707 to create the new Kingdom of Great Britain. The union also created a new Parliament of Great Britain, which succeeded both the Parliament of Scotland and the Parliament of England. Within Scotland, the monarchy of the United Kingdom has continued to use a variety of styles, titles, the legal system within Scotland has also remained separate from those of England and Wales and Northern Ireland, Scotland constitutes a distinct jurisdiction in both public and private law. Glasgow, Scotlands largest city, was one of the worlds leading industrial cities. Other major urban areas are Aberdeen and Dundee, Scottish waters consist of a large sector of the North Atlantic and the North Sea, containing the largest oil reserves in the European Union. This has given Aberdeen, the third-largest city in Scotland, the title of Europes oil capital, following a referendum in 1997, a Scottish Parliament was re-established, in the form of a devolved unicameral legislature comprising 129 members, having authority over many areas of domestic policy. Scotland is represented in the UK Parliament by 59 MPs and in the European Parliament by 6 MEPs, Scotland is also a member nation of the British–Irish Council, and the British–Irish Parliamentary Assembly. Scotland comes from Scoti, the Latin name for the Gaels, the Late Latin word Scotia was initially used to refer to Ireland. By the 11th century at the latest, Scotia was being used to refer to Scotland north of the River Forth, alongside Albania or Albany, the use of the words Scots and Scotland to encompass all of what is now Scotland became common in the Late Middle Ages. Repeated glaciations, which covered the land mass of modern Scotland. It is believed the first post-glacial groups of hunter-gatherers arrived in Scotland around 12,800 years ago, the groups of settlers began building the first known permanent houses on Scottish soil around 9,500 years ago, and the first villages around 6,000 years ago. The well-preserved village of Skara Brae on the mainland of Orkney dates from this period and it contains the remains of an early Bronze Age ruler laid out on white quartz pebbles and birch bark. It was also discovered for the first time that early Bronze Age people placed flowers in their graves, in the winter of 1850, a severe storm hit Scotland, causing widespread damage and over 200 deaths. In the Bay of Skaill, the storm stripped the earth from a large irregular knoll, when the storm cleared, local villagers found the outline of a village, consisting of a number of small houses without roofs. William Watt of Skaill, the laird, began an amateur excavation of the site, but after uncovering four houses
4.
Musselburgh
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Musselburgh is the largest settlement in East Lothian, Scotland, on the coast of the Firth of Forth,6 miles east of Edinburgh city centre. The population of Musselburgh is 21,900, the name Musselburgh is Old English in origin, with mussel referring to the shellfish, and burgh derived from the Old English for town. Musselburgh was first settled by the Romans in the years following their invasion of Scotland in AD80 and they built a fort a little inland from the mouth of the River Esk, at Inveresk. They bridged the Esk downstream from the fort, and thus established the line of the eastern approach to Scotlands capital for most of the next 2,000 years. The bridge built by the Romans outlasted them by many centuries and it was rebuilt on the original Roman foundations some time before 1300, and in 1597 it was rebuilt again, this time with a third arch added on the east side of the river. The Old Bridge is also known as the Roman Bridge and remains in use today by pedestrians, to its north is the New Bridge, designed by John Rennie the Elder and built in 1806. This in turn was considerably widened in 1925, the Battle of Pinkie Cleugh was fought south of Musselburgh. The town motto Honestas dates back to 1332, when the Regent of Scotland, Randolph, Earl of Moray and his successor offered to reward the people for their loyalty but they declined, saying they were only doing their duty. The new regent, the Earl of Mar, was impressed and said they were a set of honest men, before 1975, Musselburgh was part of Midlothian, not East Lothian. It became part of the East Lothian District following the Local Government Act 1973, schools include Loretto School, a private boarding school, and Musselburgh Grammar School, the local large comprehensive that is one of the oldest grammar schools in the country, dating from 1608. Some students attend St. Davids R. C, Primary schools include, Campie Primary School, Musselburgh Burgh Primary School, Stoneyhill Primary School, Pinkie St Peters Primary School, Loretto RC Primary School and Loretto Nippers. Early learning locations include The Burgh, Stoneyhill, Loretto RC, there are also several private nurseries for preschool-aged children. Edinburghs Queen Margaret University relocated all its schools from Edinburgh to Musselburgh as of 2007 and her Majesty The Queen officially opened the QMU campus in July 2008. Musselburgh is served by two railway stations, Musselburgh railway station is in the west of the town, adjacent to Queen Margaret University and has regular Abellio ScotRail services from Edinburgh Waverley to North Berwick. It is a new station, having opened in 1988. The other station serving the town is Wallyford railway station to the east of the town in the village of Wallyford, the towns original station was close to the town centre at the end of a short branch from Newhailes Junction. Passenger services from there ceased in 1964, and the closed to all traffic in the early-1970s. The former railway line is now a road bypassing the Fisherrow area of the town, the A199 goes through the High Street to Edinburgh in the west and to Dunbar to the east
5.
Inveresk
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Inveresk is a village in East Lothian, Scotland situated immediately to the south of Musselburgh. It has been designated an area since 1969. It is situated on elevated ground on the north bank of a loop of the River Esk. This ridge of ground,20 to 25 metres above sea level, was used by the Romans as the location for a fort in the 2nd century AD. The element Inver, from the Gaelic inbhir, refers to the confluence of the river Esk with the Firth of Forth, the village was formerly in the Midlothian parish of the same name and developed distinctly from the separate burgh of Musselburgh. Inveresk is notable for its fine street of 17th- and 18th-century houses and this was formerly the mansion of James Wedderburn who had made his fortune as a slave-owning sugar plantation owner in Jamaica. When his son by one of his slaves, Robert Wedderburn, travelled to Inveresk to claim his kinship he was rejected by his father who gave him some small beer. This experience turned Robert Wedderburn to radicalism, the village is dominated by St. Michaels church that stands at its west end on the summit of the local hill overlooking Musselburgh. The current church is by Robert Nisbet and dates to 1805 and has a spire of Wren-influence but is believed to date to the 6th century. Robert Mylne, architect/master mason, 1633-1710, lived and died here Clarissa Dickson Wright the chef, henry Yule, Scottish Orientalist, born here Canmore - Inveresk, Musselburgh, Roman Fort site record Workhouses - Inveresk Scottish Places - Inveresk
6.
Prestonpans
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Prestonpans is a small town situated to the east of Edinburgh, Scotland, in the unitary council area of East Lothian. The 2001 census recorded that the town had a population of 7,153 and it is the site of the 1745 Battle of Prestonpans, and has a history dating back to the eleventh century. The town is credited for achieving the title of Scotlands Mural Town with many wall murals reflecting the towns colourful past. According to certain stories Prestonpans was founded in the 11th century by a traveller named Althamer, finding it impossible to get home, the survivors of the wreck decided to remain where they were and founded a settlement named Althamer in honour of their leader. The monks gave the settlement their own name, Prieststown or Prieston, because of the salt manufacturing carried out by the monks using pans on the sea shore, the towns name would later develop into Salt Prieststown and Salt Preston, and finally Prestonpans. One of the first post-Reformation churches was built in Prestonpans in 1596, for and at the expense of the new minister, the church was greatly re-modelled in 1774. Ten years after the building of the new church, Prestonpans became a Parish in its own right. On 31 October 2004 the innocence was publicly declared of 81 Scottish women convicted of being witches, Salt panning was a very important industry in the early history of Prestonpans. By the beginning of the century there were 10 salt works belonging to the town capable of producing between 800 and 900 bushels of salt per week. However, Prestonpans was not a town, and many other industries flourished in Prestonpans. The discovery and mining of coal by the Newbattle monks in the thirteenth century was arguably the first instance of coal mining in Britain. The mining of coal in Prestonpans began in the year 1210, Prestonpans at one time had sixteen breweries however, today there are none. The oldest brewery in Prestonpans belonged to the Fowler family and was built in 1720, the Fowlers obtained it in 1756 and it was in production until the 1960s. The building was demolished in 1989 to build flats, there was a soap works in the town which at one time had an output of 90,000 pounds per annum, and also several potteries and brickworks. The town was served, for hundred years, by the harbour at nearby Prestongrange. Fishing boats sailed from the harbour and herring was the most important catch, the harvesting of oysters was a lucrative industry up to the early twentieth century. The Battle of Prestonpans was the first significant conflict in the second Jacobite Rising, the battle took place on 21 September 1745. The Jacobite army loyal to James Francis Edward Stuart and led by his son Charles Edward Stuart defeated the army loyal to the Hanoverian George II led by Sir John Cope
7.
Cockenzie and Port Seton
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Cockenzie and Port Seton is a unified town in East Lothian, Scotland. It is on the coast of the Firth of Forth, four miles north-east of Musselburgh, the burgh of Cockenzie was created in 1591 by James VI of Scotland. Port Seton harbour was built by George Seton, 11th Lord Seton between 1655 and 1665, the town has a population of 4,493 as of 2001. Since the last Census in 2001, there have many new houses built. The population is now about 5,460, Cockenzie and Port Seton has continued to grow over the years and is now a dormitory town for Scotlands capital city, Edinburgh. Demolition of the plant is underway, and is expected to take around 18 months. Plans for an Energy Park on the site, to be used for the construction, Cockenzie and Port Seton has grown from what were initially two small fishing villages. The older parts of the town, between the two harbours, retain a traditional feel and look, similar to many other small fishing villages on the east coast of Scotland. Although the fishing industry has declined in recent years the harbour at Port Seton still retains a fleet of vessels. In the past Cockenzie was also involved in the salt making, to the east of Port Seton there is a large caravan campsite/holiday park at Seton Sands. The promenade area and the creation of a walk, a part of the John Muir Way, have improved the environment in recent years. To the south east is Seton Collegiate Church, a church also known as Seton Chapel. Next to it was Seton Palace, now Seton House, Cockenzie and Port Seton are served by direct bus links to and from Edinburgh, Prestonpans and Musselburgh, services operated by Lothian Buses. The nearest railway station is at Prestonpans, in 2005, The 3 Harbours Arts Festival was inaugurated by Cockenzie, Port Seton and Prestonpans. It takes place in early June, the town has a community centre with activities such as a youth club, football pitches and a skatepark within the grounds
8.
Gullane
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Gullane 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, Gullane is part of the John Muir Way, a long-distance footpath along the coast between Musselburgh and Dunglass. The local population consists of elderly people. Urbanisation has led to some recent housing developments, and Gullane is gaining popularity as a village for nearby Edinburgh. Amenities include the hall and a variety of shops including a chip shop, German bakery. There is a school, and local children attend secondary school five miles away in North Berwick. The Scottish Fire Service College is located on Gullanes Main Street, greywalls Hotel was built in 1901 to a design by Sir Edwin Lutyens, the gardens were designed by Gertrude Jekyll. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service has their training school based at Gullane, Gullane is the home of Muirfield which has hosted The Open Championship on numerous occasions, most recently in 2013. In addition to Muirfield, Gullane is the site of several other high-quality golf courses in the village, at the Gullane Golf Club, to which many local residents are members of, three interesting eighteen-hole links courses straddle a large grassed-over volcanic plug. From the top of the hill on each there is a fine view over Aberlady and Aberlady Bay towards Edinburgh and the Forth Bridge as well as the coast of Fife. Internationally acclaimed artist Frank W Wood painted a magnificent view of Gullane in 1933, Gullane numbers 1 and 2 courses and Luffness are often used as Open Championship qualifying courses when the open is at Muirfield. Children are allowed to play on courses numbers 2 and 3 after they graduate from the Childrens Course, in midsummer, golf is possible into the late evening, occasionally as late as 10,30 pm, allowing a full round to be completed after dinner. As a result, Gullane is a destination for golfing tourists. Ronnie Corbett, comedian and TV personality
9.
North Berwick
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North Berwick is a seaside town and former royal burgh in East Lothian, Scotland. It is situated on the shore of the Firth of Forth. North Berwick became a holiday resort in the 19th century because of its two sandy bays, the East Bay and the West Bay, and continues to attract holiday makers to this day. Golf courses at the ends of each bay are open to visitors, the name North Berwick means North barley farmstead. The word North was applied to distinguish this Berwick from Berwick-upon-Tweed and it was recorded as Northberwyk in 1250. On the south of North Berwick Law there is evidence of at least eighteen hut circles, rich middens and a field system dating from 2000 years ago. Excavations have shown that from as early as the 8th century, North Berwick Harbour was built in the 12th century to meet the demands made of the existing ferry trade. This ferry was recently reinstated, during the summer a boat travels between North Berwick and Anstruther in Fife, in homage to the original ferry, around 1150 Duncan, Earl of Fife of the Clan MacDuff founded an influential Cistercian nunnery. This castle was attacked and held by the Earl of Pembroke around 1306, in the 14th century the town became a baronial burgh under William Douglas, 1st Earl of Douglas, who then built nearby Tantallon Castle to consolidate his power. Later during the 15th century the town became a burgh in the reign of James I of Scotland. The Auld Kirk Green at the harbour was used for gatherings by the accused in the North Berwick Witch Trials. Legend has it that Satan himself attended a ritual there in 1590, although it is likely that Satan was played by Francis Stewart Hepburn. During the 16th century at least 70 people were implicated in the Witch Trials, One of the most famous Witch trials at North Berwick was of the woman named Agnes Sampson. She was accused of making a potion to make the storms rough as King James VI of Scotland was sailing home from Denmark with his new wife, the trial took place in 1591 and King James was there himself. Sampson was tortured to confess and then burned at the stake, like many other innocent people. Local lore, place names, and the jawbone arch atop the Law erected in 1709, in any event it would have been overshadowed by nearby Leith. Certainly whales have been known to have washed ashore here, regularly over the years, despite the railway arriving in 1850, the Industrial revolution bypassed the town. The late 19th century saw North Berwick develop golfing and holiday facilities, the town soon became popular as a home for Edinburgh commuters and retirees
10.
Dunbar
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Dunbar is a town in East Lothian on the southeast coast of Scotland, approximately 28 miles east of Edinburgh and 28 miles from the English border north of Berwick-upon-Tweed. Dunbar is a royal burgh and gave its name to an ecclesiastical. Until the 1960s the population of the town was more than 3,500. The town is thriving with the most recent population published for the town at 6,940, there are very well regarded primary and secondary schools in town. The town is served by Dunbar railway station with links to Edinburgh. Dunbar is home to the Dunbar Lifeboat Station, the second oldest RNLI station in Scotland, Dunbar is the birthplace of the explorer, naturalist and influential conservationist John Muir. The house in which Muir was born is located on the High Street, there is also a commemorative statue beside the town clock, and John Muir Country Park is located to the northwest of the town. The eastern section of the John Muir Way coastal path starts from the harbour, each year on the last full weekend in September, Dunbar holds a weekend-long traditional music festival sponsored by various local companies. In its present form, the name Dunbar is derived from its Gaelic equivalent and that itself is probably a Gaelicisation of the Cumbric form din-bar, with the same meaning. This form seems to be attested as Dynbaer the seventh-century Vita Sancti Wilfredi, to the north of the present High Street an area of open ground called Castle Park preserves almost exactly the hidden perimeter of an iron age promontory fort. The influential Northumbrian monk and scholar St. Cuthbert, born around 630, was probably from around Dunbar. While still a boy, and employed as a shepherd, one night he had a vision of the soul of Aidan being carried to heaven by angels and thereupon went to the monastery of Old Melrose and it was then a kings vill and prison to Bishop Wilfrid. As a royal holding of the kings of Northumbria, the economy centred on the collecting of food renders and the administration of the northern portion of that kingdom. It was the base of a royal official, a reeve. Danish and Norse attacks on southern Northumbria caused its power to falter, Dunbar was burnt by Kenneth MacAlpin in the 9th century. Scottish control was consolidated in the century and when Lothian was ceded to Malcolm II after the battle of Carham in 1018. Malcolm needed to fill a vacuum on his south-eastern flank. The grant included Dunbar and, it can be deduced, a swath of East Lothian
11.
Firth of Forth
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The Firth of Forth is the estuary of the River Forth in Scotland, where it flows into the North Sea, between Fife to the north and Lothian to the south. It was known as Bodotria in Roman times, in the Norse sagas it was known as the Myrkvifiörd. Geologically, the Firth of Forth is a fjord, formed by the Forth Glacier in the last glacial period, the Kincardine Bridge, the Clackmannanshire Bridge, the Forth Road Bridge and the Forth Bridge carry traffic across the firth. Queensferry Crossing, alongside the Forth Road Bridge, was expected to open in 2016 but has since been delayed until May 2017. From 1964 to 1982, a tunnel existed under the Firth of Forth, the shafts leading into the tunnel were filled and capped with concrete when the tunnel was closed, and it is believed to have filled with water or collapsed in places. In July,2007, a passenger service completed a two-week trial between Portobello, Edinburgh and Kirkcaldy, Fife. The trial of the service was hailed as an operational success. It was estimated the service would decrease congestion for commuters on the Forth road, despite the initial success, the project was cancelled in December,2011. Historic villages line the Fife shoreline, Limekilns, Charlestown and Culross, established in the 6th century, the firth is important for nature conservation and is a Site of Special Scientific Interest. The Firth of Forth Islands SPA is home to more than 90,000 breeding seabirds every year, there is a bird observatory on the Isle of May. The youngest person to swim across the Firth of Forth was 13-year-old Joseph Feeney, in 2008, a controversial bid to allow oil transfer between ships in the firth was refused by Forth Ports. SPT Marine Services had asked permission to transfer 7.8 million tonnes of oil per year between tankers, but the proposals were met with determined opposition from conservation groups
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