Gullane

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Gullane
Scottish Gaelic: A' Ghualainn
Gullane (Scotland)
Gullane

Gullane shown within Scotland
Population 3,783
OS grid reference NT486830
Council area East Lothian
Lieutenancy area East Lothian
Constituent country Scotland
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town Gullane
Postcode district EH31 2EJ
Dialling code 0162084
Police Lothian and Borders
Fire Lothian and Borders
Ambulance Scottish
European Parliament Scotland
UK Parliament East Lothian
Scottish Parliament East Lothian
List of places: UKScotland

Coordinates: 56°02′14″N 2°49′35″W / 56.03711, -2.8265

Gullane is a small village on the east coast of Scotland, on the southern shore of the Firth of Forth. There has been a church in the village since the 800s. The ruins of the Old Church of St. Andrew built in the 1100s can still be seen at the western entrance to the village; the church was abandoned after a series of sandstorms made it unusable, and Dirleton Parish Church took its place.

Gullane Beach
Gullane Beach

Gullane Bents, the village's award-winning beach, is backed by large sand dunes that in recent years have become rather overgrown by invasive shrubs like sea-buckthorn. Gullane is part of the John Muir Way, a long-distance footpath along the coast between Musselburgh and Dunglass.

The local population includes many elderly people. Urbanisation has led to some recent housing developments, and Gullane is gaining popularity as a commuter village for nearby Edinburgh (some twenty miles away). Amenities include the Village Hall, Primary School, newsagents, and a cafe based on a German/Austrian "Konditorei". Secondary school children attend school five miles away in North Berwick.

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service has its training school at Gullane, and Greywalls Hotel was built in 1901 to a design by Sir Edwin Lutyens; the gardens were designed by Gertrude Jekyll.

[edit] Golf

Gullane is the home of Muirfield golf course, which has hosted the British Open on numerous occasions, most recently in 2002. 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.

Aberlady Bay and Pentland Hills over the golf courses
Aberlady Bay and Pentland Hills over the golf courses

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.

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.

[edit] External links

[1] East Lothian Council - Leaflet "Walks around Gullane"


East Lothian Towns & Villages
Aberlady | Athelstaneford | Auldhame & Scoughall | Bolton | Cockenzie and Port Seton | Dirleton | Drem | Dunbar | East Linton | East Saltoun and West Saltoun | Gifford | Gullane | Haddington | Humbie | Innerwick | Kingston | Longniddry | Macmerry | Musselburgh | North Berwick | Oldhamstocks | Ormiston | Pencaitland | Prestonpans | Tranent | Whitekirk and Tyninghame | Wallyford