Tranent is the largest of a string of villages in East Lothian in central Scotland, 9 miles east of Edinburgh city centre. In 2020 it had a population of 11,910. The other villages, also described here, include Prestonpans, Cockenzie, Longniddry and Port Seton.

Understand

This area has been industrial since medieval times. Monks from nearby Newbattle Abbey mined coal here from the 13th century, and worked salt pans along the coast (hence "priest-town-pans", Prestonpans). There were also quarries, distilleries, breweries, tanneries, metal-working, potteries and brickworks. These all became uneconomic in the 20th century and the mining industry dwindled; today the area is a commuter belt for Edinburgh.

Around Tranent is lowland and fertile, with good transport links along the coast and inland towards Berwick-upon-Tweed and Newcastle. In 1745 Prestonpans saw the first battle of Bonnie Prince Charlie's Jacobite rebellion.

Get in

1745: the Redcoats flee Prestonpans

By road: vehicles approach on A1, and look for the turn-off onto the old road. Bicycles aren't allowed on the new A1 so follow its old route, nowadays A199.

By bus: East Coast Bus 104 runs every 30 min from Edinburgh via Musselburgh, Wallyford and Tranent to Haddington. Bus 106 starts from Fort Kinnaird retail park then follows the same route from Musselburgh through Tranent to Haddington; change at Haddington for buses to Dunbar and Berwick-upon-Tweed. Bus 113 runs from Edinburgh via Musselburgh, Wallyford, Tranent and Ormiston to Pencaitland. There are night buses along these routes.

East Coast Bus 124 / X24 runs from Edinburgh along the coast via Musselburgh, Prestonpans, Aberlady and Gullane to North Berwick.

Night buses run from Edinburgh between midnight and 4AM. N26 runs nightly, hourly across the city from Clerwood to Musselburgh, Prestonpans and Seton Sands. N106 runs after midnight F Sa to Musselburgh, Wallyford, Tranent, Macmerry, Haddington, East Linton and Dunbar. N113 runs nightly after midnight to Musselburgh, Wallyford, Tranent and Ormiston. N114 runs F Sa after midnight to Musselburgh, Wallyford, Prestonpans, Aberlady, Dirleton, Gullane and North Berwick.

1 Prestonpans is the nearest railway station, 1½ miles northwest of Tranent. It has trains between Edinburgh and North Berwick hourly 7AM-11PM; all the others flash through non-stop, so from Newcastle you have to ride into Edinburgh then come out again. The station has ticket machines and a waiting room but no toilets. There are ramps to both platforms.

Get around

Lothian Bus 26 runs every 30 min to Edinburgh from Tranent via Prestonpans, Musselburgh, Joppa, Meadowbank, Leopold Place, North St David Street and Haymarket (for airport tram and bus) then out to Clerwood in the western city.

Taxi firms in Tranent include AC's (+44 131 665 5000), Tartan Taxis (+44 1875 613171) and Premier Taxi (+44 1875 613099).

See

• 1 Tranent Tower is the stumpy remnants of a 16th century tower. It's unsafe and you can't go in.
• 2 Fa'side Castle, EH33 2LE (2 miles southwest of Tranent). 15th-century tower house in an L-plan, restored in the 1980s. It's privately owned and you can't visit. (updated Oct 2019)
• 3 Battle of Prestonpans Monument commemorates the first battle of "The 45". Bonny Prince Charlie landed in the Highlands in July 1745 to reclaim the throne for the Stuarts; he and his Jacobites marched south to Edinburgh armed with little more than a promise of French support. Government forces under Sir John Cope assembled at Dunbar in September and the Jacobites marched out against them. They met at Prestonpans. Cope's men were green and fled from the Highlanders' wild charge, and the Government side were routed within half an hour. It was a huge boost to Jacobite confidence and credibility, and they marched down into England with high hopes. A monument on Prestonpans hill commemorates the event.
• The Prestonpans Tapestry, completed in 2010 and loosely modelled on the Bayeux Tapestry, is an embroidery depicting the battle. It's yet to find a permanent home and (as of Jan 2023) is not on display.
• Preston Tower is the shell of a 14th-century tower house, 300 yards north of Prestonpans railway station. Close by is the imposing Northfield House, but you can't visit.
• 4 Prestongrange Museum, Morrison's Haven, Prestonpans EH32 9RX (B1348). Apr-Sep: daily 11:30AM-4:30PM. Museum in a 400-year-old industrial complex, centred around the coal mine with beam engine and winding gear. Occasional guided tours. Free. (updated Oct 2019)
• 5 Seton Collegiate Church, Longniddry EH32 0PG (A198). Apr-Sep: daily 9:30AM-5:30PM. Ruin of 15th-16th century church. Seton Castle adjacent is privately owned and you can't visit. Adult £6. (updated Oct 2019)

Do

Church Street, Tranent

• Walk the coast with views over to Fife. West, a short walk brings you past the lagoons and racecourse into Musselburgh. East, Prestonpans and Cockenzie have a lot of brownfield gaps, and the beach is muddy until Seton Sands. The trail continues past Craigielaw and eventually to Aberlady and Gullane.
• Golf: there's a course at Longniddry, but those at Port Seton and Seton Sands are closed in 2023.
• Glenkinchie Distillery is 5 miles south near Pencaitland, see Haddington for details.
• Lammermuir Festival is classical music in Prestonpans and other venues across East Lothian. It's next held 7-17 Sept 2023.

Buy

• Tranent has an Asda grocery shop, but big-ticket shopping is at Fort Kinnaird retail park west along A1 on the edge of Edinburgh.

Eat

• Tranent has several takeaways, one of the few sit-down places is Giancarlo's on High Street, open daily.
• Prestonpans has Dragon Way, open W-M.

Drink

Table tombstone in Tranent churchyard

• 1 The Brig Inn, 90 Bridge Street Tranent EH33 1AL. Daily 11AM-11PM. Traditional pub with good range of food. (updated Oct 2019)
• Others in Tranent are The Keepers Arms, New Plough Inn and Whispers.
• Prestoungrange Gothenburg on Prestonpans High St is a pub with microbrewery and food, open daily 11AM-11PM.

Sleep

"Hey Johnnie Cope are you wauking yet, or are your drums a-beating yet?"

- The redcoat army turned out not to be morning people.

• Tranent lacks accommodation. With your own car, try the Premier Inn further west along A1, and other options near Musselburgh.
• 1 Adniston Manor. Upscale B&B two miles east near Macmerry. (updated Oct 2019)
• 2 Anchorage B&B. This is on the coast at Cockenzie. (updated Oct 2019)
• Seton Sands on the coast two miles north of Tranent has camping and caravan pitches plus static caravans for hire.

Connect

As of July 2023, Tranent and the A1 have 4G from EE, Three and Vodafone, and 5G from O2. The signal is patchy in the lanes to the south.

Go next

• You can't miss seeing Edinburgh, as the crags of Arthur's Seat are visible from Tranent and Prestonpans.
• Go to the races at Musselburgh.
• At Haddington you escape commuterland and industry into open country. Here is East Fortune airfield, with the Museum of Flight.
• The coast improves greatly east of Aberlady: attractive villages are Dirleton, Gullane, North Berwick and Dunbar.