Musselburgh factfile

How to get to Musselburgh
You'll find Musselburgh in East Lothian on the coast of the Firth of Forth, only 9.5 km (6 mi) east of Edinburgh city centre. Trains run regularly to Musselburgh from Edinburgh's Waverley Station (the journey takes 10 minutes), or you can drive along the A1.

How Musselburgh got its name
The name of the town (or burgh) refers to the mussels which grow in abundance in the Firth of Forth.

Musselburgh through the ages
Musselburgh was first settled by the Romans when they invaded Scotland in 80AD. For many centuries the town's main sources of income were fishing and the mussel beds at the mouth of the River Esk.

The town has been the scene of many battles between Scotland and England, and was almost destroyed twice—in 1544 and 1547.

These days Musselburgh is a busy tourist town and many of its 22,000 population commute to nearby Edinburgh.

Things to see and do around Musselburgh
The 15th-century Craigmillar Castle has links to Mary Queen of Scots. The town's rebuilt Roman bridge was used by Edward II in his retreat from the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314.

Natural beauty spots around Musselburgh
You'll find a spectacular view along the Firth of Forth. Musselburgh is a good place to start exploring the stunning coastline of the area.

Sports and leisure in Musselburgh
Musselburgh is the home to one of Scotland's busiest racecourses, which holds both National Hunt and Flat meetings.

There are three golf courses in the town. One of them, the Musselburgh Links, has a claim to being the oldest course in the world—the Open Championship has been held there several times. There are many spectacular golf courses in the surrounding East Lothian area too.

The Musselburgh Silver Arrow is the oldest sporting trophy in the world, competed for annually by the Royal Society of Archers since 1677.

Musselburgh's claim to fame
The town's famous motto is simply "Honesty", which dates back to 1332 when the Regent of Scotland, Randolph, Earl of Moray, was struck down by illness and cared for by Musselburgh's citizens. When he died his successor offered to reward the loyal townspeople but they refused, saying they were only doing their duty.