Leith, Edinburgh, EH6 7BZ

Port of Leith was a critical commercial and logistics hub, its harbour being the largest trading centre on the Scottish North Sea coast and the town being considerably larger than the neighbouring Edinburgh. There were several phases of harbour development along the estuary of the Water of Leith, quays connected with moving bridges, like the nearby Victoria Swing Bridge, built in 1874.

On the corner (of The Shore and Tower Street) stands the Signal Tower. Originally a windmill, this is one of the oldest buildings in Leith, built in 1686 by Robert Mylne. In 1805 it was converted into a signal tower from which flags were displayed to let ships know the depth of water at the harbour bar. On the opposite side of the road is the large building of what was the Sailor’s Home, a boarding facility for visiting and homeless sailors started in 1883. It was designed to house 56 seamen, 9 officers and 50 shipwrecked seamen. In front of the building stands the Scottish Merchant Navy Memorial, unveiled in 2010 and commemorating all Scottish sailors, who lost their lives at sea. Its panels celebrate the global shipping routes, perils at sea as well as noting the crucial role of Leith Nautical College and its training ship “Dolphin” in the training of sailors.  

On the harbour quay, there is a preserved harpoon, a remnant of the Leith’s dominant industry of the past – whaling. Since early 17^th century Leith whalers sailed North to Arctic waters around Greenland, as whale oil was critical for many industrial and domestic uses. In 1911, Leith had the largest whaling fleet in the world, owned by Christian Salvesen & Son and sailing South towards Antarctica, even establishing a whaling station called ‘Leith Harbour’ on South Georgia. However, the whale oil extraction left quite a bad smell, literally, with a ‘boiling house’ in Timber Bush. As it was owned by Peter and Christopher Wood, the smell was locally called “Woods’ scent bottle” – not something many people missed, when whaling finally ceased in 1963.

Leith Local History Society – http://www.leithlocalhistorysociety.org.uk/index.htm
Scottish Merchant Navy Memorial https://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/87515
Signal Tower http://www.leithlocalhistorysociety.org.uk/buildings/signal_tower.htm

New St, Musselburgh, EH21 6DH

Fisherrow is a harbour and former fishing village West of Musselburgh. The fishermen from here used to fish for herring, and later for white fish, prawns and sprats. This is not to be confused with the harbour at in the estuary of the river Esk, which was renown of the shellfish from this area gave rise to the name “Musselburgh”. In fact, there was some healthy rivalry between the two communities, for instance golf tournaments took place between the fishwives of Musselburgh and Fisherrow. The community held a “Box Walk” in September, marking the end of the fishing season, and giving charity to those in need.

Fisherrow Harbour and Seashore Association https://www.fhsa.org.uk

Morrisons Haven, Prestonpans, EH32 9RX

Prestongrange was a key industrial area for hundreds of years. The busy activity included harbour, glass works, pottery, colliery and brickworks. Whilst the workshops and factories have now disappeared, the industrial landscape remains, including a large winding gear, a vast brick kiln and a Cornish beam engine. Thus, following the closure of the Prestongrange coal mine in 1962 (spanning in total over 700 years of coal mining in the area), the site was transformed into an open-air museum with a dedicated Visitor Centre.

Visitors can experience the hubbub of industry that was Prestongrange, from the the first deep shaft in Scotland, which Matthias Dunn of Newcastle sank in 1830 to the Great Seam at 420 feet (128 m), and right to the end of the coal power in the area with the decommissioning of the Cockenzie Power Station in 2013 and the demolition of its two iconic 149m-tall chimney stacks. The ash lagoons created by the power station span the coastline towards Musselburgh, now home to abundant wildlife sheltered by the low woodland.

Prestongrange Museum https://www.eastlothian.gov.uk/info/210593/museums/11878/museums_in_east_lothian/4

Aberlady Bay Car Park, Longniddry, EH32 0QB

Along the coastal path connecting Aberlady with North Berwick, one can see many curiosities including the wreck of two World War II X-type midget submarines in Aberlady Bay.  These vessels were about 16 metres (52 ft) long, only big enough for a crew of four: a commander, a pilot, an engineer and a specialist diver. They were powered by a diesel engine when on the surface and an electric motor when underwater. These midget submarines were exclusively used for special coastal operations, for instance the 1943 raid on the German battleship Tirpitz in a Norwegian fjord and as guide boats for the 1944 Normandy landings.

The two submarine skeletons in Aberlady Bay were exclusively used for training, firstly as part of preparing for missions, as well as targeting research and for anti-submarine areal defence. It was as part of this latter use that they were towed and moored in the shallow waters near Aberlady, so they could be part of trials launched form the nearby East Fortune airfield.

Midget Submarines in Aberlady Bay https://awesomeaberlady.com/aberlady-bay-midget-submarines/

Tantallon, EH39 5PN

Tantallon Castle’s ruins sit on top of a sea cliff opposite the Bass Rock, and represent the last curtain castle constructed in Scotland, dating from mid-14^th century. The castle’s dominant “curtain wall” is made from distinct red sandstone and spans over 15 metres (49 ft) high, 3.6 metres (12 ft) thick, and around 90 metres (300 ft) long, with ruined towers on each side. The castle was besieged, attacked and damaged through some of the decisive moments in Scottish history, from the Bishop’s Wars to the 1651 Cromwell’s invasion, the latter leaving it ruined. Since, the castle has been quarried for stone, inspired a number of artworks, and served in training exercises in World War II to the nearby East Fortune airfield, which is now the National Museum of Flight. Tantallon is open to visitors, managed by the Historic Environment Scotland.

Tantallon Castle https://www.historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/places/tantallon-castle/