Musselburgh

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 midnight-4AM 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
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.

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



 * is the 17th century fishing harbour, now used by leisure craft.
 * Town centre retains its old street pattern but is mostly modern.
 * 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.
 * are reclaimed land just north of the racecourse. Lots of resident and migratory birds here, and concrete observation hides.
 * 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.
 * are reclaimed land just north of the racecourse. Lots of resident and migratory birds here, and concrete observation hides.
 * 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.
 * 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.
 * 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.
 * Lammermuir Festival is classical music in Musselburgh and other venues across East Lothian. It's next held 5-16 Sept 2024.
 * 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.
 * Lammermuir Festival is classical music in Musselburgh and other venues across East Lothian. It's next held 5-16 Sept 2024.
 * 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.
 * Lammermuir Festival is classical music in Musselburgh and other venues across East Lothian. It's next held 5-16 Sept 2024.

Buy

 * Aldi west side of town centre is open M-Sa 8AM-10PM, Su 9AM-8PM.
 * 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, Dragon Inn, Parilla Buenos Ayres (below), Shish Mahal, Luca's (below) and Dal Patino.
 * Bridge Street west of the river has Lanna Thai, Elena di Rollo (below), Gurkha, East Coast (below), Mario's Pizza, Koh-i-Noor and Frying Scotsman.
 * Bridge Street west of the river has Lanna Thai, Elena di Rollo (below), Gurkha, East Coast (below), Mario's Pizza, Koh-i-Noor and Frying Scotsman.
 * Bridge Street west of the river has Lanna Thai, Elena di Rollo (below), Gurkha, East Coast (below), Mario's Pizza, Koh-i-Noor and Frying Scotsman.

Drink

 * East of the river are Riverside Tavern, Coach and Horses, The Willow, The Sportsman (below) and Horseshoe Tavern.
 * 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.
 * 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.

Sleep

 * King's Manor half a mile north near Brunstane railway station is in Joppa, see Edinburgh/East.
 * King's Manor half a mile north near Brunstane railway station is in Joppa, see Edinburgh/East.
 * King's Manor half a mile north near Brunstane railway station is in Joppa, see Edinburgh/East.
 * King's Manor half a mile north near Brunstane railway station is in Joppa, see Edinburgh/East.

Connect
As of July 2023, Musselburgh and its approach roads have 5G from all UK carriers.

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.