Historic county of Scotland
East Lothian
Siorrachd an Ear Leothain / Haddingtonshire / County of Haddington
Forth coast north, rich plain within, Lammermuirs rising south.
East Lothian / Haddingtonshire occupies a remarkably clear strip of country between the Firth of Forth and the Lammermuir Hills. Along the coast lie beaches, rocky headlands and old burghs; immediately inland spreads some of Scotland’s richest arable country; southwards the land rises towards the moorland edge.
That simple sequence — coast, fertile plain, hills — gives the county exceptional geographical clarity. Its maritime climate and productive soils created a landscape quite different from the rougher uplands immediately beyond.
- Maritime county
- Haddington = royal burgh since 12th century
- Birthplace of John Knox, Protestant reformer
- Area: 267 sq miles 692 km²
- Population: 74,882
- County top: Meikle Says Law 1,755 ft / 535 m
County geography
Current Census
Contemporary Census profile
Scotland Census 2022. Detailed contemporary statistics are available in the Geographic County Census Explorer.
- Population density
- 312.3 people per sq mi (120.57 people per km²)
The Forth-facing coast
The northern side of East Lothian opens broadly towards the Firth of Forth and, further east, the North Sea.
Volcanic landforms, sandy bays and rocky headlands repeatedly interrupt the shoreline, giving the county a coast of unusual variety.
Scotland’s arable east
Behind the coast lies a broad belt of highly productive farmland.
This agricultural landscape is fundamental to East Lothian’s identity: open fields and low rolling ground provide a striking contrast with both the coast and the Lammermuir rise.
The Lammermuir edge
Southwards the county climbs towards the Lammermuir Hills, where cultivated lowland gives way to increasingly open upland.
That hill wall provides a strong geographical finish to the county’s otherwise open plain.
County questions
Questions about East Lothian
Are East Lothian and Haddingtonshire different counties?
No. They are long-established alternative names for the same geographic county.
Does the council area called East Lothian define the county?
No. The geographic county and the council area are separate geographical layers.
County record
Names and continuity
- Formal name
- County of East Lothian
- Local name
- Siorrachd an Ear Leothain
- Alternative name
- Haddingtonshire
- Foundation
- c.1139
East Lothian, Haddingtonshire and County of Haddington are forms associated with the same county. Its Forth coast, agricultural plain and Lammermuir edge give it one of Scotland’s clearest landscape structures.