East Lothian Antiquarian & Field Naturalists' Society

Guided Tour of Balgone House 7th June 2025
2025-06-07 14:30 - 17:00 (Europe/London)
Society visit

In the 20th century the house became ruinous but was lovingly restored as their home in the 1990’s by Alan and Fidelity Dean. Our visit is by their kind invitation.

Balgone House history

Balgone House has the appearance of an 18th Century house with quadrant walls linking it, in the Palladian manner, to two service pavilions; but the house has a very complex early history, much of which was only revealed during the major restoration project carried out by the present owners. It may have started as an L plan tower house which was enlarged and extensively altered in the 18th Century, but there is convincing evidence that most of the present house predates the 18th Century remodelling and that the early house had many of the features of a courtyard house.

The house was greatly enlarged in the 19th Century but it was abandoned in the 1950’s, left to decay and used as a source of building material for the estate. The aim of the restoration project was to remove the 19th Century additions which were in a very bad state, riddled with dry rot. This revealed the old house, virtually intact, with many early features surviving. Of particular interest is a large fireplace of characteristic 15th Century appearance which had been hidden behind lath and plaster. The garden, too, had been abandoned and was completely overgrown but contains a number of fine trees. A new garden has been designed round them, mainly lawns, hedges and shrubs; a small orchard in the 18th Century walled garden, and a new walled garden on the south side of the house.

Visit plan

Balgone House is about 2 miles south east of North Berwick, reached by minor roads south of the A198 or alternatively from Haddington, about 8 miles, take the A199, B1347 and B1377 and then onto minor roads. Also access from East Linton by initially taking the B1377 north, about 4 miles. Grid Reference NT 56651 82366. “What3words” inventors.tuxedos.coughed. Full directions will be sent to confirmed attendees.

There will be two groups of 12. One group will have a tour of the house, with the other group viewing the extensive policies, and then vice versa. This visit will end with a chat over a cup of tea.

Request to consider donations to Leuchie House

There will be no charge for the visit to Balgone House, but attendees are asked to consider a cash donation towards the North Berwick charity Leuchie House.

Places will understandably be limited so please register your interest by contacting Elaine Whewell at info@eastlothianantiquarians.org.uk

Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation No: SC0052295

Dunbar Harbour Visit 5th July 2025
2025-07-05 14:00 - 16:00
Society visit MEMBERS ONLY

Dunbar Harbour is a working harbour, owned and run by a charity, Dunbar Harbour Trust. Our visit will be hosted by Alasdair Swan, a most knowledgeable expert on the harbour having served the maximum term of twelve years as a trustee of Dunbar Harbour Trust, most of them as Chair of the Trust. He is currently a trustee of Dunbar Dementia Network and Belhaven Surf Centre, and is the Treasurer for Dunbar Community Council and Dunbar History Society. He lives near to Dunbar’s East Beach, close to the harbour.

Dunbar Harbour history

Attendees will be introduced to Dunbar’s three harbours, all of which have been packed with history, with tales of Black Agnes, Mary Queen of Scots, poor Johnny Cope, and American/French pirates.

For many centuries Dunbar was a town of great significance in the seemingly endless wars between the Scots and the English. It was seen as a key supply point on the road to Edinburgh, and its castle was never easy to capture. Some of what remains of the castle you will be able to see on our visit, although much of its stonework is less obvious as it has long since been incorporated into the buildings in the town.

Dunbar Battery holds a prominent position at the harbour and has had several re-incarnations since it was first built. It is now an open-air arena, available for public performances and civic occasions.

The harbours are home to a large kittiwake population, and it is probable that our tour will need to compete with the sound of the birds, circling round the harbour rock. Local seabird enthusiast and kittiwake warden Chris Martin will be present to describe their activities.

Fishing has always been an important part of the town’s economy, and we will have a chance to hear some of the current challenges that face our fishing families, hopefully first hand from local fishermen if they are not out fishing!

Visit plan

Dunbar Harbour is at the foot of Victoria Street, EH42 1HW. Walkers should go straight down to the old Cromwell Harbour. All cars should drive down to the foot of this street and spaces will be made available for those with mobility issues. Others will be guided to suitable nearby on-street parking.

We will meet at the white building called McArthur’s Store at the foot of the street. (The white building in the photo).

The visit will be tailored according to the weather for, ideally, it will involve a fair amount of walking in the open air. This is not such a good idea when the rain is lashing down and the wind is whipping in from the North Sea, so there will be a contingency plan if the weather forecast is truly awful.

At the end of the visit there will be a chance to have a cup of tea or coffee together in McArthur’s Store.

Request to consider donations to Dunbar Harbour Trust

There will be no charge for the visit to Dunbar Harbour but attendees are asked to consider a cash donation on the day towards the charity or, better still, a gift aid donation at:

https://cafdonate.cafonline.org/19527#!/DonationDetails

Booking: there is not need to formally book but it would be useful to convey your intent to come, no least to help the Dunbar Harbour, by contacting Elaine Whewell at info@eastlothianantiquarians.org.uk

Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation No: SC0052295

Newbattle Abbey Visit 18 Sep 2025
2025-09-18 14:00 - 16:00
A private tour of the Abbey and it’s wonderful gardens. Founded as a Cistercian Monastery in 1140 by King David 1st. It then became the Kerr family home in the 16th century and an adult residential college in 1937. The army requisitioned it during World War 2 but opened its doors to a college again in 1950. It has a fascinating history which will be described during the tour. It was her that a Council of Nobles met here in Spring 1320. They drafted a letter asking the Pope to recognise Scotland’s independence and acknowledge Robert Bruce as the lawful king. This letter became The Declaration of Arbroath !

There will also be an opportunity to explore the beautiful Italian Garden.

The cost will be approximately £10, to include tea and biscuits.

Likely numbers limit two groups of 15.

Preston Tower Visit 18 Oct 2025
2025-10-18 14:00 - 16:30
The Society is delighted to offer Members an opportunity for a private tour of Preston Tower, Doocot and Garden on Saturday 18th October, 2025, 2.00 PM for 2.30 PM. Our visit will be hosted by Friends of Preston Tower, a local group of community-focused volunteers.

Preston Tower is a Scheduled Monument consisting of a partially ruined Tower House, Doocot and Garden nestling in the heart of the town of Prestonpans. The lower storeys of the tower are of 15th century origin whilst the upper mini Renaissance Palace (and probably the Doocot) was added in the early 17th century. There are two documented burnings of the Tower, firstly in 1544 during the Rough Wooing and again in 1650 by Oliver Cromwell’s forces. The Tower remained in use as a home until around 1700 when it was permanently abandoned by the Hamilton family. From the mid-19th century the Tower functioned as the centrepiece of a commercial market garden and in the late 1960s passed into the ownership of the National Trust for Scotland. Currently access is limited to the first floor great hall reached via a new external staircase, the ground floor vaulted chamber with its own entrance, and the nearby doocot which was substantially repaired at the same time the tower was being renovated.

Visit plan

Address: 30 Cross Cottages, Prestonpans, EH32 9EJ.

There will be two groups that will alternate between the Tower and Doocot & Garden.

There will be no charge for the visit but attendees are asked to consider donations towards the running costs of the Friends of Preston Tower: either in cash or on-line via a QR code.

Please note that there is no dedicated parking at the Tower. The adjacent car park is private for the housing association. However there is ample on-street parking as well as at the nearby community centre close to the Mercat cross. The nearest public toilets are on Ayres Wynd, just off the High Street: follow West Loan north.

Places will understandably be limited so to reserve a place please contact Elaine Whewell at info@eastlothianantiquarians.org.uk

“The material landscapes of Scotland’s jewellery craft.” Saturday 1st November 2025
2025-11-01 14:30 - 17:00
The Society is delighted to present this talk by Dr Sarah Laurenson at 2.30 PM, Saturday, 1st November, 2025.

The venue will be at Holy Trinity Church, Church Street, Haddington

Dr Sarah Laurenson is Principal Curator and Head of Modern and Contemporary History at National Museums Scotland. This talk will be based on her recent extensively researched and beautifully illustrated book entitled as above.

During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, jewellers sourced and used a range of materials from Scotland’s varied natural landscape: precious gold and silver, sparkling crystals and colourful agates, freshwater pearls and shells. This talk traces these materials on their journey from hill and shore to the jewellers bench and explores how these materials shaped new ways of working with and thinking about the natural world during the age of industry.

Members can expect a most interesting and colourful journey into the world of Scottish jewellery.

For any enquiries contact Elaine Whewell: info@eastlothianantiquarians.org.uk

Non members welcome with a modest cash donation appreciated

Church parking is limited to Blue Badge holders plus otherwise mobility compromised

Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation No: SC052295

“New looks at old pasts: the impact of LiDAR on our understanding of the landscape in the Border counties.”
2025-11-22 14:30 - 17:00
Stratford Halliday LIDAR FINAL PDFDownload

“An Eighteenth Century North Berwick Love Story”
2025-12-13 14:30 - 17:00
a personal family account

by Sir Hew Dalrymple

Sir Hew and Margaret Sainthill article- lectureDownload

The Society is delighted to present this talk by Sir Hew Dalrymple at 2.30 PM, Saturday, December 13th, 2025. Sir Hew and his family have been involved in the Society since its inception and in North Berwick and East Lothian life for more than 300 years. Sir Hew was a founding trustee of the Scottish Seabird Centre and is a Deputy Lieutenant of the county. He is also president of North Berwick RNLI and North Berwick Yacht Club. His family home, Leuchie House, is well known as the National Respite Centre. Sir Hew’s family archives are deposited in the National Record Office and are the source for this talk.

Sir Hew will take us back to the year 1744 and will paint a picture of life in North Berwick and London at that time. The talk is based on an intimate & delightful correspondence between Hew and Margaret Dalrymple, who were newly married but separated for four months when he left her in London to attend to his business affairs in Scotland. What emerges is a fascinating picture of a life very different to our own and yet the emotions, ambitions and anxieties that they exhibit are completely relatable to us today.

The venue will be at Holy Trinity Church, Church Street, Haddington

Join us for refreshments afterwards.

For any enquiries contact Elaine Whewell: info@eastlothianantiquarians.org.uk

Non members welcome with a modest cash donation appreciated

Church parking is limited to Blue Badge holders plus otherwise mobility compromised

Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation No: SC052295

Unearthing and conserving the Peebles Hoard
2026-01-31 14:30 - 17:00
by Dr Matthew Knight and Ms Bethan Bryan

The Society is delighted to present this talk by Matthew Knight and Bethan Bryan at 2.30 PM, Saturday 31st, January, 2026.

The venue will be at Holy Trinity Church, Church Street, Haddington, EH41 3EX

Matt Knight is Senior Curator of the Chalcolithic and Bronze Age collections at National Museums Scotland, specialising in the production, use, and deposition of Bronze Age metalwork. His active research interests include the treatment of metalwork as well as the inclusion of older objects in later deposits. He is also Project Lead on the AHRC-funded Scotland’s Archaeological Human Remains Collection project.

Bethan Bryan is Peebles Hoard Conservator and Artefact Conservator at National Museums Scotland. She holds degrees in Celtic Archaeology and Medieval History from the University of Edinburgh and worked for five years at the National Trust for Scotland, before completing the MA Conservation of Archaeological and Museum Objects at the University of Durham.

Talk summary

The Peebles Hoard is one of the most remarkable hoards ever found in Scotland. Dating to the Late Bronze Age, it contains several hundred elements from a complex set of bronze and organic objects, as well as a complete sword in a scabbard. The hoard includes highly decorated bronze fittings, studs and buttons, as well as organic straps that linked multiple objects. Many of these objects have never been found before in Scotland, such as jingle plates that would have hung from horses; others have no clear parallels. This talk will present the discovery and excavation of the hoard as well as highlighting some of the ongoing conservation work, which is revealing intriguing insights into how the objects were made and used.

Join us for refreshments afterwards.

For any enquiries contact Elaine Whewell: info@eastlothianantiquarians.org.uk

Non members welcome with a modest cash donation appreciated

Church parking is limited to Blue Badge holders plus otherwise mobility compromised

“Farm servants of South East Scotland between 1750 and 1914”
2026-02-21 14:30 - 17:00
David McLean will give a talk on the farm servants of South East Scotland between 1750 and 1914. This will describe the lives of thousands of farm servants and bondagers who worked on the improved farms of Berwickshire, Roxburghshire and East Lothian through the years of the great agricultural revolution.

The Society is delighted to present this talk by David McLean at 2.30 PM, Saturday, 21st February, 2026.

Please note that the venue will be at Holy Trinity Church, Church Street, Haddington, EH41 3EX

David McLean

After graduating in history at Edinburgh University, our speaker began a professional career in education which eventually spanned 38 years, teaching history and modern studies. Posts included principal teacher of History at Berwickshire High School and depute headteacher at Earlston High School. After retirement in 2010, he found more time for deeper historical research into both Scottish and American history which has led on to giving a variety of talks to various clubs and societies across the Borders. In more recent years, he has added a new project: researching the stories of the old Duns houses and the families who lived in them, work which has not been done before.

Talk summary

The talk will look at the lives of those thousands of farm-servants and bondagers who worked on the improved farms of Berwickshire, Roxburghshire and East Lothian through the years of the great agricultural revolution. It will explain the rural hierarchy from ploughmen downwards, the main tasks of the farming year, how farm-servants were paid, their living conditions and relationships with employers. Attempts to promote trade unionism in the countryside will be explored before reaching the watershed of the Great War.

Members can expect a moving historical journey into past agricultural times.

For any enquiries contact: info@eastlothianantiquarians.org.uk

Non members welcome with a modest cash donation appreciated

Church parking is limited to Blue Badge holders plus otherwise mobility compromised

Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation No: SC052295

Lord Kelvin Talk Postponed to a later date
2026-03-21 14:30 - 17:00 | Holy Trinity Church, Haddington, 6A Church Street, Haddington EH41 3EX ·
The Society is delighted to present this talk by Professor Javier Martin-Torres at 2.30 PM, Saturday, 21st March, 2026.

Please note that the venue will be at Holy Trinity Church, Church Street, Haddington, EH41 3EX

Professor Javier Martin-Torres, Chair Professor of Planetary Sciences and Astrobiology, Northumbria University

Professor Martín-Torres is a NASA award-winning theoretical physicist with interdisciplinary research interests, including astrobiology, planetary sciences, the emergence of life, as well as space and weather hardware development. He has 25 years of experience working on space missions. He is the Principal Investigator of the HABIT instrument to produce liquid water on Mars and co-Investigator of the Curiosity and ExoMars missions. He boasts an extensive international career, including NASA, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the California Institute of Technology and the Lunar and Planetary Institute.

Talk summary

Nearly 202 years after his birth on 26 June 1824, William Thomson, aka Lord Kelvin, remains one of the most luminous figures in the history of science. The talk will trace his extraordinary journey from a ten-year-old university student in Glasgow to the Second Wrangler at Cambridge, and ultimately to the Chair of Natural Philosophy at the University of Glasgow, which he held for an astonishing 53 years. Kelvin’s revolutionary contributions to thermodynamics, the dissipation of energy, vortex motion, and countless other fields fundamentally reshaped our understanding of the physical world and laid the foundations of modern physics and engineering.

At the heart of the story lies his profound, lifelong relationship with the Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE). Elected as a Fellow in 1847 and subsequently serving three terms as President, Kelvin used the Society as his primary platform for presenting seminal papers: from his 1849 exposition of Carnot’s theory to groundbreaking work on heat (establishing the Kelvin scale), capillary action, and spherical harmonics. Additionally he greatly elevated the RSE’s standing in areas of government liaison, publication standards and public engagement.

Knighted in 1866 and elevated to the peerage in 1892, Lord Kelvin’s influence extended far beyond academia. After his death in 1907, the Society’s enduring gratitude was and still is remembered.

Through archival insights, rare images, and personal anecdotes, this talk celebrates the perfect symbiosis of individual genius and institutional prestige – showing how one man’s brilliance and one Society’s support together advanced science and humanity for generations to come.

Members can expect a remarkable story of a remarkable man.

For any enquiries contact: info@eastlothianantiquarians.org.uk

Non members welcome with a modest cash donation appreciated

Church parking is limited to Blue Badge holders plus otherwise mobility compromised

Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation No: SC052295

The Yester Papers: all human life is here
2026-03-21 14:30 - 17:00
The Society is delighted to present this talk by Eric Glendinning at 2.30 PM, Saturday, 21st March, 2026.

Please note that the venue will be at Holy Trinity Church, Church Street, Haddington, EH41 3EX

Eric Glendinning

Our speaker was born and schooled in Hawick, a former pupil of our late President Stephen Bunyan. He studied history at Edinburgh. His professional life was in education, working in Tanzania, Norway and Nepal. For the 20 years leading to retirement he was Director of the Institute for Applied Language Studies at the University of Edinburgh. He is currently working with colleagues from Haddington’s History Society on the 800 year history of Gimmers Mills, Haddington.

Talk summary

The Yester papers are the archives of the Marquises of Tweeddale, formerly held at Yester House but now in the National Library of Scotland. They cover a period roughly from 1600 to 1914. The collection is vast. It includes documents on matters of state, local affairs, the management of the estate, family events and day to day living through the centuries. Letters from an Eton schoolboy, a fragment of autobiography, a bill for prodigious quantities of alcohol, and much more feature.

This lecture will include brief extracts under the headings: Events, Women (their place in the archive), Porridge (the role of oatmeal in the Scottish economy), Innovation, Letters home, A troublesome priest, and Celebrations.

Members can expect a fascinating exploration into life on the Yester estate over the centuries.

For any enquiries contact: info@eastlothianantiquarians.org.uk

Non members welcome with a modest cash donation appreciated

Church parking is limited to Blue Badge holders plus otherwise mobility compromised

Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation No: SC052295

VISIT TO ST ABBS HEAD
2026-06-06 14:00 - 17:00
St Abbs Head IH Poster FINALDownload
