The Lothians
The Lothians
The Lothians are situated in the southeastern part of the country, encircling the capital city, Edinburgh, and bordering the North Sea, the Scottish Borders, and Central Scotland. Traditionally divided into three sub-regions – East Lothian, West Lothian, and Midlothian – the Lothians offer visitors a wide range of attractions and a tapestry of landscapes to explore.
East Lothian, often referred to as the ‘Garden of Scotland’ due to its fertile farmlands, is renowned for its beautiful coastline which is peppered with sandy beaches and hidden coves. Midlothian, meanwhile, boasts the dramatic Pentland Hills which are popular for hillwalking and mountain biking, and West Lothian is characterised by rolling countryside and the Bathgate Hills to the south.
When it comes to quaint towns and villages, the Lothians are second to none. In East Lothian, you’ll find Haddington, a sleepy town with an array of boutique shops, as well as North Berwick, a pretty seaside resort town famous for attractions like the Scottish Seabird Centre and Berwick Law.
Midlothian is home to the historic mining villages of Newtongrange and Gorebridge (home of the National Mining Museum), while West Lothian boasts the town of Livingston which has one of the largest shopping centres in southeast Scotland.
With regards to wildlife, the Lothians are teeming with flora and fauna. The John Muir Country Park in East Lothian is a vital habitat for various birds and the Aberlady Bay Nature Reserve is a paradise for migratory birds like pink-footed geese and eider ducks.
Nature lovers will enjoy the stunning coastal walks of the John Muir Way and families will enjoy visiting places like the National Museum of Flight, Dalkeith Country Park, and the Jupiter Artland sculpture park, to name just a few.
History buffs, meanwhile, can explore the ancient Rosslyn Chapel featured in ‘The Da Vinci Code’ and Linlithgow Palace, the birthplace of Mary Queen of Scots, as well as Tantallon Castle (the oldest curtain-walled castle in Scotland) and Blackness Castle which has an unusual shape that led to its nickname ‘the ship that never sailed’.
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