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In 1887, John Bartholomew's Gazetteer of the British Isles described East Lothian like this:
Haddingtonshire (or East Lothian), maritime co. in SE. of Scotland; is bounded NW., N., and NE. by the Firth of Forth and the North Sea, SE. and S. by Berwickshire, and W. by Edinburghshire (or MidLothian); greatest length, N. and S., 17 miles; greatest breadth, E. and W., 26 miles; seaboard, 31¾ miles; area, 173,298 ac., pop. ...
38,502. The coast along the Firth of Forth is flat and sandy; along the North Sea it is bold and rocky. In the S. are the Lammermuir Hills, whence the surface slopes gently to the sea, in a vast plain, watered by the river Tyne, and broken by the Garleton Hills, and by the isolated summits of Traprain Law and North Berwick Law. Of the cultivated part of the co.-- finely diversified by woods and plantations -- the soil is mostly a clayey loam, and is generally fertile, and Haddington is one of the foremost agricultural counties of Scotland. (For agricultural statistics, see Appendix.) Great numbers of sheep are fed on the Lammermuir Hills. The mfrs. are unimportant; they consist of two or three foundries, breweries, potteries, brickworks, salt pans, a paper mill, a distillery, &c. The western part of the co. forms the eastern margin of the Mid-Lothian coalfield, and is rich in coal and limestone, which are extensively worked. Fishing and fish-curing are carried on at Dunbar, Cockenzie, and other points. The co. comprises 23 pars, and parts of 2 others; the royal and police burghs of Dunbar, Haddington, and North Berwick, and the police burghs of East Linton, Prestonpans, and Tranent. It returns 1 member to Parliament.
Vision of Britain presents long-run change by redistricting historical statistics to modern units. However, none of our modern units covers an area close to that of East Lothian. If you want trends covering a particular location within the county, find it on our historical maps and then select "Tell me more".
How to reference this page:
GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth, History of East Lothian | Map and description for the county, A Vision of Britain through Time.
URL: https://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/place/17222
Date accessed: 10th December 2025
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