Musselburgh - town in East Lothian, Scotland, UK

Musselburgh is the largest town in East Lothian in central Scotland, six miles east of Edinburgh city centre. It's an old fishing port which is now part of the commuter belt, with a population in 2020 of 21,100.

Understand

The Romans were fond of mussels, as good a reason as any to camp here circa 80 AD. They built a bridge over the River Esk that (now in its third incarnation) still stands: the town's High Street was aligned with it but the New Bridge opened in 1806 to carry the Great North Road (the later A1), and the town developed a second spine. In the mid-1980s the A1 was diverted onto a bypass to the south. To the west, Musselburgh adjoins the Edinburgh suburbs of Portobello and Joppa. To the south was the coal-mining district of Newcraighall, now redeveloped, where Inveresk has somehow survived as a charming 17th / 18th century village. The main reason to visit Musselburgh is to go to the races.

Get in

For long-distance routes by air, rail or bus, see Edinburgh. From the airport take Skylink Bus 400 to Fort Kinnaird, then local buses for the last 3 miles into town.

By bus

For long-distance coaches change in Edinburgh: these fly past on the A1 and don't call at Musselburgh. Lothian Buses 15, 26, 30 and 44 run to Musselburgh from Edinburgh.

East Coast Buses X5, 124 & X24 run from Edinburgh Fountainbridge along Princes St (close to but not into the bus station) then via Musselburgh along the coast road to North Berwick. They run daily every 30-60 min.

East Coast Bus 104 runs every 30 min from Edinburgh West End and Princes St via Musselburgh, Wallyford and Tranent to Haddington. East Coast Bus 106 starts from Fort Kinnaird then follows the same route from Musselburgh to Haddington; change at Haddington for buses to Dunbar and Berwick-upon-Tweed. East Coast Bus 113 runs from Edinburgh West End via Brunstane to Musselburgh then via Wallyford, Tranent and Ormiston to Pencaitland.

Night bus N26 runs hourly 00:00-04:00 from Edinburgh to Joppa, Musselburgh, Prestonpans and Seton Sands. At weekends night buses also run from city centre via Musselburgh to Dunbar (N106) and North Berwick (N124).

East Coast Bus 140 runs from Penicuik via Roslin (for Rosslyn Chapel), Loanhead and Dalkeith.

By train

Musselburgh railway station 📍 has trains hourly from Edinburgh Waverley (6 min), which continue to Wallyford (for racecourse), Prestonpans, Longniddry, Drem and North Berwick. Trains from Dunbar also stop here every couple of hours, but most trains whirl straight through - coming from Newcastle and the south you go into Edinburgh and change.

The station is half a mile south of town centre. It has ticket machines but no staffed office, and no toilets. There are ramps to both platforms.

Newcraighall 📍 has trains along the Borders Railway every 30 min from Edinburgh via Brunstane to Newtongrange (for the Mining Museum), Galashiels (for buses to Melrose, Jedburgh, Selkirk, Hawick and Carlisle) and Tweedbank (for Abbotsford House). This station is a Park & Ride for the city.

By road

From central Edinburgh follow A1 Milton Road onto A199; from anywhere else in the city join the city bypass A720 and loop around.

Cyclists may not use A720 City Bypass or the A1 - follow A199 the old route of the Great North Road.

Get around

The main town and racecourse are all walkable. Buses between High Street and the railway station are Lothian Bus 30 and East Coast Bus 106.

Taxi firms in town are Toun Taxis (+44 131 665 0077), Mac Travel (+44 7484 879684) and Dash Taxis (+44 131 665 1000).

See

• Fisherrow 📍 is the 17th century fishing harbour, now used by leisure craft.
• Town centre retains its old street pattern but is mostly modern.
• Musselburgh Museum, 65 High Street H21 7BZ (next to Old Town Hall), +44 131 665 6642. Apr-Oct Th-Sa 11:00-15:00. Small museum of local history. Free 2023-01-12
• Roman Bridge 📍 was built around 80 AD and thereby defined the historic route towards Edinburgh. It was rebuilt in the 13th century and again in 1597, the version you see today. In 1806 the New Bridge was built downstream and re-aligned the route.
• Newhailes House, Newhailes EH21 6RY (A mile west on A6095), 55.9408°, -3.0792°, +44 131 653 5599. Feb Mar W-Su 12:00-16:00, Apr-Oct daily 10:00-16:00. Palladian mansion house little changed since the 18th century, visit by pre-booked guided tour. The tranquil wooded grounds are free and open all year. Adult £12, conc £10, child £6, NTS / NT free 2023-01-12
• The Lagoons 📍 are reclaimed land just north of the racecourse. Lots of resident and migratory birds here, and concrete observation hides.
• Inveresk Lodge Garden, 24 Inveresk Village EH21 7TE (A mile south of Musselburgh), 55.9350°, -3.0435°, +44 131 665 1546. Daily 10:00-17:00. A garden on a domestic scale, open all year. The garden was designed in 1851 and restored by the National Trust for Scotland in 1959. No dogs. The adjacent Inveresk House (not open to the public) dates from the 17th century. Adult £3, NTS / NT free 2023-01-12
• Battle of Pinkie 📍 of 1547 is commemorated by a stone plaque at the south edge of town. In "the Rough Wooing", Henry VIII tried to force Scotland into alliance with England, and to forego links with France. It was yet another calamitous defeat for Scotland, but the English failed to capitalise, the child Mary Queen of Scots was spirited away to marry the future king of France, and the realms remained separate until the 1603 Union of the Crowns.

Do

• The Brunton on Ladywell Way is a two-auditorium theatre with a year-round programme.
• Musselburgh Racecourse, Linkfield Road EH21 7RE, 55.9470°, -3.0395°, +44 131 665 2859. This has flat-racing Apr-Oct and jumps races Nov-March. 2023-01-12
• Musselburgh Old Links, 10 Balcarres Road EH21 5SD, +44 131 665 6981. Oct-Mar 08:00-16:00, Apr-Sept 08:00-dusk. Located in the middle of the racecourse, this 9-hole links golf course is among the oldest continuously played courses in the world, dating back to 1672. Par 34. Players need to work around race fixtures. 2023-01-12
• Royal Musselburgh Golf Club, Prestongrange House EH32 9RP (on B1361 towards Prestonpans), 55.9523°, -2.9972°, +44 1875 819000. A picturesque parkland course, 6254 yards, par 70. Round midweek £70, weekend £85 2023-01-12
• Musselburgh Golf Club, Monktonhall Terrace EH21 6AX (B6415 towards Old Craighall), 55.9311°, -3.0598°, +44 131 665 2005. This parkland course has been used for Open qualifying rounds. Yellow tees 6241 yards, par 69. Round midweek £100, weekend £150 2023-01-12
• Rugby: Musselburgh RFC play rugby union in the Premiership, the amateur top tier in Scotland. Their home ground is Stoneyhill west bank of the river.

Buy

• Aldi west side of town centre is open M-Sa 08:00-22:00, Su 09:00-20:00.
• The big local shopping centre is Fort Kinnaird, 3 miles west along Newhailes Road.

Eat

• Mussels served here may be Scottish but won't be local: the burgh's mussel beds were lost by the 20th century to over-harvesting and pollution. For centuries they had provided food, marl for fertiliser and construction, and a habitat for other marine life. There are initiatives to re-establish beds elsewhere in Britain, but it's unlikely to be feasible here so close to city industry.
• High Street east of the river has Caprice, Miro's Village, Rainbow, Dragon Inn, Parilla Buenos Ayres (below), Shish Mahal, Luca's (below) and Dal Patino.
• Parilla Buenos Ayres, 76 High Street EH21 7BX, +44 131 665 7998. M, W-F 17:00-22:00, Sa Su 15:00-22:00. Quality steakhouse, deservedly popular. 2023-01-12
• Luca's, 32 High Street EH21 7AG, +44 131 665 2237. Daily 09:00-22:00. Primarily an ice cream parlour, but they also serve all-day breakfast. 2023-01-12
• Bridge Street west of the river has Lanna Thai, Elena di Rollo (below), Gurkha, East Coast (below), Dynasty, Mario's Pizza, Koh-i-Noor and Frying Scotsman.
• East Coast, 171 North High Street EH21 6AN, +44 131 665 2079. W-F 17:00-20:00, Sa Su 13:00-20:00. Good seafood restaurant. 2023-01-12
• Elena Di Rollo, 34 Bridge Street EH21 6AG (opposite Brunton Theatre), +44 131 653 2510. Tu-Su 11:00-20:00. Pleasant coffee shop and ice parlour. 2023-01-12

Drink

• East of the river are Riverside Tavern, Coach and Horses, The Willow, The Sportsman (below) and Horseshoe Tavern.
• The Sportsman, 58 High Street EH21 7BX (Towards the racecourse), +44 131 281 6508. Su-Th 11:00-23:00, F Sa 11:00-01:00. Traditional, cheap and friendly local pub. 2023-01-12
• West of the river are Auld Brig Tavern, The David MacBeth Moir (below), Staggs (aka Volunteer Arms), Anchor Bar, and Ship Inn which has rooms.
• The David Macbeth Moir, 47 Bridge Street EH21 6AG, +44 131 653 1060. Su-Th 08:00-23:00, F Sa 08:00-01:00. JD Wetherspoon's pub in a former cinema, with the usual cheap real ales and large menu. Moir (1798-1851) was a local physician and writer. 2023-01-12

Sleep

• Ravelston House, 182 North High St EH21 6BH, +44 131 665 2478. Pleasant guesthouse with 7 rooms near Fisherrow Harbour. Rooms are modern, all on first floor with no lift. B&B double £60 2023-01-12
• Arden House, 26 Linkfield Rd EH21 7LL (by racecourse), +44 131 665 0663. Attractive welcoming guesthouse east side of town. B&B double £100 2023-01-12
• Premier Inn A1 Newcraighall, 91 Newcraighall Rd EH21 8RX (off A6095), 55.9350°, -3.0950°, +44 333 777 4682. Value-for-money budget chain, walking distance to Fort Kinnaird and railway station. B&B double £80 2023-01-12
• King's Manor half a mile north near Brunstane railway station is in Joppa, see Edinburgh/East#Sleep.
• Premier Inn A1 Musselburgh, Carberry Rd EH21 8PT (off A6094), 55.9255°, -3.0338°, +44 333 777 4679. Another reliable branch of this chain just off A1. B&B double £70 2023-01-12
• Carberry Tower Mansion House, Carberry Tower Estate EH21 8PY (A6124 towards Pathhead), 55.9159°, -3.0205°, +44 131 665 3135. Upscale hotel in imposing mansion, rebuilt from the 18th century. You need a car. B&B double £160 2023-01-12
• Drummohr Campsite, Drummohr House Road EH21 8JS (off B1348), 55.9495°, -3.0090°, +44 131 665 6867. Open all year, this is a clean, well-run camping and caravan site with glamping pods. Tent or tourer £32 2023-01-12

Connect

As of Aug 2022, Musselburgh and its approach roads have 4G from all UK carriers, and there's a chance you'll get 5G as its tentacles extend from the city.

Go next

• Edinburgh borders Musselburgh to the west. The big attractions are the Old Town and New Town, while other city areas convenient for Musselburgh are:
  • Portobello is the city's seaside resort. Arcade games, fish & chips and a nice promenade walk; the beach itself isn't much.
  • Leith is the old port and still in use. See the Royal Yacht Britannia and explore the cobbled Georgian centre.
  • South side is Arthur's Seat, Duddingston and Craigmillar Castle.
• Go east along A198 the coast road to Gullane and North Berwick, for sand hills, golf courses, and the crags of North Berwick Law and Bass Rock.
• The main road A1 breaks free of suburbs at Haddington. Continue east to Dunbar, and a series of attractive little coves and harbours in the cliffs of Berwickshire.