Welcome to East Lothian Antiquarians

Our transactions are an important part of the society’s contribution to East Lothian. Our website is intended to share the wealth of knowledge we have accumulated and encourage wider participation in our passion for our historic and natural heritage.

Stephen Bunyan

President

Papple Steading Planned Visit

As there are still many Covid cases in the County, the planned visit to Papple Steading is postponed until later in the summer

Talk on Papple Steading Project 13th May

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The SOE at Belhaven Hill – on Zoom 8th April 2021

Early in WW2, the school was evacuated from Belhaven Hill, and the building was requisitioned by the War Department. It became a special training school for the Special Operations executive (SOE). The SOE was established by Winston Churchill soon after Dunkirk, with...

Spanning the Centuries – the Union Bridge 1820-2020

A review of the book, by Stephen Bunyan This handsome volume tells the story of the Union Chain Bridge built to cross the Tweed by Captain Samuel Brown a few miles from Berwick on Tweed, between Horncliffe and Fishwick. The book does much more than that. It...

Christmas Message from the Chairman

I should like to wish you a Happy Christmas and a Happy New Year, after what can only be called an annus horribilis 2020. It has been frustrating to feel we have had to abandon a year’s programme. We are continuing preparation of volume XXXIII of the Transactions and...

About ELAFNS

Founded in 1924 the declared aims were then as they are today:

to study the antiquities of the area, to collect material of interest, to publish relevant articles, to go on appropriate excursions to have lectures and to stimulate general interest in the history of East Lothian

I look forward to seeing you at one of our public talks, member only site visits or ELAFN business meetings, if you want to get involved in developing the programme.

STEPHEN BUNYAN

President

Our Publications

The entire publications archive, comprising over 40 volumes issued since 1924, has been digitised and made available free of charge providing an invaluable resource for members, researchers and the general public.

Only the most recent Transactions volume requires a full membership.

A good number of the past volumes are now available for purchase, including a number of scarce early issues, also discounted for members.

Search All our Past Publications

This search tool will retrieve content from our print publications and is powered by Google technologies. Searches can be modified with refinements. Images are also retrieved.

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Join Us

Joining is easy

Members will get a chance to visit places which are not often open to the general public.

The subscription is excellent value. In 1924 it was 5/- pa, which in today’s terms was £30/pa and equivalent to the pay of 2 days skilled labour.

So do join us, we would love to have you as a member.

If you are a UK tax payer don’t forget the Gift Aid form.

JOIN NOW

Membership benefits

INDIVIDUAL

£15/annual

Access to all the online publications
Purchase back issues at a strong discount
Access to all the latest publications
A free copy of the latest transactions
Guest winter lectures
Attend site visits subject to numbers

JOINT

best value

£20/annual

Access to all the online publications
Purchase back issues at a strong discount
Access to all the latest publications
A free copy of the latest transactions
Attend guest speaker winter lectures
Attend site visits subject to numbers
Save £5 each on a single membership

FREE

£0

Access to all the online publications
Purchase back issues (no discount)
Guest winter lectures

The Fourth Statistical Account of East Lothian

In 1997 ELAFNS, in a consortium with the eleven local history societies of East Lothian and the Council’s Library Service, published seven volumes on the county’s recent economic and social history, spanning the period 1945-2000.

These are on sale through local bookshops and libraries.

With the physical archive material now deposited with East Lothian Council’s Local History Centre in Haddington, the extended digital version has been recently revamped.

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