Villages

Prestonpans

(Population: 7, 153 in 2001)

Prestonpans is a historic town approximately 5miles East of Edinburgh with a long industrial past. Prestonpans comprises several old villages that have gradually come together to become Prestonpans. The old village and burgh of Preston is the best-preserved part of the original town and is designated as a Conservation Arrea. It includes some fine examples of Scottish domestic architecture in Preston Tower (15th century), Hamilton Dower House (16th century) and Bankton House (17th century). In addition there are important scheduled monuments including the Preston Mercat Cross, the doocots and the Prestongrange Parish Chuirch (the old kirk), which celebrated its 500th aniversery in 1996.

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Tranent

(Population: 8,892 in 2001)

Tranent is one of East Lothian’s largest towns and has a long industrial past based on the coal mining industry - it was one of the first coal mining settlements in Scotland with records showing that coal was discovered as long as 1200AD. Today, the only coal-based employment is at the Blindwells opencast site to the north east of the town.

Tranent’s conservation area covers the oldest part of Tranent centred on Church Street. The area includes the 16th Century Tranent Tower and the church doocot and the attractive 18th century Parish Church, manse and historic graveyard which includes many of the finest 17th and 18th century tombstones in East Lothian. The northern part of Church Street also contains early farm buildings, houses, miner’s cottages and the imposing former Wishart Church (now the parish Church Hall) of 1827.

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Elphinstone

(Population: 514 in 2001)

Elphinstone is a former mining community lying south of Tranent. The village has its own primary school and a basic range of other facilities. The village enjoys a rural location with open views to Tranent and Ormiston.

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Wallyford

(Population: 2202 in 1994)

Wallyford is a ‘gateway’ into East Lothian from the A1. It is a former mining community lying south east of Musselburgh. The village is a rural community, and is generally classed as a working class area with a strong sense of community spirit running through it.

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Whitecraig

(Population: 1,278 in 2001)

Whitecraig lies within the Edinburgh Green Belt, immediately south of Musselburgh in an area of prime agricultural quality land. Although a small group of agricultural cotteges called Deantown occupied the site of the present streets of that name, the present settlement of Whitecraig was developed during the 20th century, primary to meet the need for housing for those employed in the coal mining industry.

The village’s facillities include a primary school and playing field, a bowling club and several small shops and a post office. Other than in a few retail/commercial outlets, there are no employment opportunities in the village with local residents employed outwith the village.

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