Gullane
| Gullane | |
| East Lothian | |
|---|---|
 Gullane Beach | |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | NT486830 |
| Location: | 56°2’14"N, 2°49’35"W |
| Data | |
| Population: | 3,783 |
| Post town: | Gullane |
| Postcode: | EH31 |
| Dialling code: | 01620 |
| Local Government | |
| Council: | East Lothian |
| Parliamentary constituency: |
East Lothian |
Gullane is a town in East Lothian. It stands on the southern shore of the Firth of Forth, and at the sea its beach sweeps broad and sandy across Gullane Bay.
Today's parish church is Dirleton Parish Church. The village's earliest church was built in the 9th century. A later church was the Church of St Andrew, built in the 12th century. Its ruins, known as the Old Church of St Andrew, still stand at the western entrance to the village. Old St Andrew's was abandoned after a series of sandstorms made it unusable and required the congreagtion to retreat to Dirleton.
Gullane Bents is the village's beach. It is backed by large sand dunes that in recent years have become rather overgrown by invasive shrubs such as sea-buckthorn. Gullane is part of the John Muir Way, a long-distance footpath along the coast between Musselburgh (Midlothian) and Dunglass.
From the top of the hill on each course there is a fine view over Aberlady and Aberlady Bay towards Edinburgh and the Forth Bridge as well as the coast of Fife and the Lomond Hills. Internationally acclaimed artist Frank W Wood painted a magnificent view of Gullane in 1933.
About the village
Gullane is gaining popularity as a commuter village for Edinburgh some twenty miles away. The local population has many commuters, though it has also attacted retired folk enjoying the sea and tranquility.
The village has a village hall and a good selection of local shops. There is a primary school; for secondary school children attend school five miles away in North Berwick.
The Greywalls Hotel was built in 1901 to a design by Sir Edwin Lutyens. The gardens were designed by Gertrude Jekyll.
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service has its training school at Gullane.
Golf
Gullane is the home of Muirfield which has hosted The Open Championship on numerous occasions, most recently in 2002. It will play host again in 2013. In addition to Muirfield, Gullane is the site of several other high-quality golf courses in the village and surrounding area. At the Gullane Golf Club, to which many local residents belong, three interesting 18-hole links courses straddle a large grassed-over volcanic plug.
Abutting Gullane Number 3 course is the Luffness Golf Club course, and on open space beside a souvenir store that used to be a blacksmith's forge is a Children's Course, on which adults are not permitted unless accompanied by a child. Gullane numbers 1 and 2 courses and Luffness are often used as Open Championship qualifying courses when the open is at Muirfield. Children are allowed to play on courses numbers 2 and 3 after they graduate from the Children's Course. In midsummer, golf is possible into the late evening, occasionally as late as 10:30 pm, allowing a full round to be completed after dinner. As a result, Gullane is a popular destination for golfing tourists.
Outside links
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("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Gullane) |
- "Walks around Gullane" (Council leaflet)