East Lothian (pop. 112,284) is a United Kingdom local government area in Scotland. It is a council area established in 1996, responsible for all local government services within its boundaries. East Lothian lies on the eastern coast of central Scotland and is bordered by the Firth of Forth on the north, the North Sea on the east, and the Lammermuir Hills on the south. It includes the towns of Dunbar, Haddington (the administrative center), Musselburgh, North Berwick, and Tranent.
Before 1975, East Lothian was a county of Scotland. From 1975 to 1996, it was a district within the larger Lothian Region.
Nearby Edinburgh dominates the local economy of East Lothian, providing jobs for many of the area’s residents in education, government, law, medicine, and financial services. Tourism is important locally, with the coastal resorts of Musselburgh, North Berwick, and Dunbar all providing tourist attractions and facilities. The coastal town of Gullane is the site of the world-famous Muirfield championship golf course. Coal mining was once important in the west of the area, but light manufacturing industries now play a much more prominent role. As a result of the region’s fertile soil and favorable climate, agriculture continues to be an important economic activity, and East Lothian is sometimes referred to as “the Garden of Scotland.”
