Pinkie and Dunbar Battlefield Heritage Profiles on the rise ...

Lottery Grant for Pinkie and major new publication on all the county's battles

East Lothian has the dubious distinction of having hosted many a bloody battle over the past 2000 years. We lie after all on the easiest route for unwelcome invaders from the south.

With support for its publication from Historic Scotland, the Battle Trust will be publishing a comprehensive account of all these battles in late spring 2013. The Duke of Somerset, whose ancestor created havoc across the county and sacked Edinburgh in the 16th century. has graciously agreed to write a Foreword. Arran Johnston is author with Andrew Hillhouse again providing some remarkable artwork.

The earliest of the major battles was at Pinkie Cleugh in 1547 which Somerset won for Henry VIII's son Edward VI. It is great news to hear that the Pinkie Heritage Group has just gained a £10,000 Lottery Grant to crystallise the work it has been doing for the last deacade, particularly its annual commemorative trail/ tour of the battlefield. Details have just been published.



For the front cover of Arran Johnston's comprehensive new book Andrew Hillhouse has depicted Cromwell's troops leaving a blazing Tantallon Castle in 1650 as they triumphed at Dunbar.