East Lothian Antiquarian & Field Naturalists' Society: A Brief History

The Society visited the site of the Battle of Prestonpans in 1924 and again in 1929. On the first visit, they noted that the ancient thorn tree, beside which Colonel Gardiner was wounded, where soldiers of both armies were buried and which had survived beyond normal expectation, was now dead. After the second visit the idea of a memorial was raised. The idea was taken up by the Society for the Preservation of Rural Scotland. The Society made a generous contribution and the cairn was erected in 1932 The question of Haddington House was to dominate the Society's thinking for many years.

Mrs [later Lady] Broun Lindsay put forward the idea of Haddington House as a museum as early as November 1942 and it was agreed that it was an excellent idea to be gone into at a more propitious time. Haddington House is an important 17th century house standing in a large garden in Haddington. It bears the initials of Alexander Maitland and Katherine Cunninghame and the date 1680, but the house is older than that. It has a wing c1800 with a fine Venetian window. It is the finest building of its period in Haddington.

During the last decade, council has expressed concern over the future of and proposals for various buildings notably Archerfield, Herdmanston Doocot, Amisfield Temple and related buildings. It has registered satisfaction over the restoration of Newhailes, Bankton House, Broxmouth South Lodge, Balgone and Ballencrieff. It was supportive of the purchase of the John Muir Birthplace and of the intention to develop it.

Stephen Bunyan