East Lothian Through Time

East Lothian, previously known as Haddingtonshire, has both benefitted and suffered from its strategic location between Scotland’s capital city and England’s northernmost county. Prior to 1707, the region bore the brunt of battles between the two countries, not only on land but along 32 miles of coastline. The rich, fertile soils, on the other hand, have produced wealth through agriculture and the patchwork of large, neat fields are synonymous with the landscape of East Lothian today. The proximity to Edinburgh makes it a prime location from which to commute. Attractive pantiled properties abound throughout the villages and countryside, all within short distances of the clean beaches or links golf courses, while tranquillity can also be found in the woodlands or gentle moorland slopes of the Lammermuir Hills. The reminders of troubled times can be viewed today by a stroll around a castle, but twenty-first-century East Lothian is thriving.

Author Biography

Liz Hanson was born in Kidderminster in 1950, but moved to Edinburgh in 1969 and has lived in the Scottish Borders for 35 years. Qualified as a medical technician, her career in microbiology was spent between Edinburgh hospitals and pharmaceutical companies. Photography has been a passion and hobby since teenage years and she now runs a small business making photographic books and cards of borders landscapes, which has expanded into production of books. Liz lives in Peeblesshire with her husband.