Musselburgh is the biggest town in East Lothian, sitting on the Firth of Forth on the east coast. Its name basically means “mussel town” – as in where everyone goes to catch their shellfish. As a town, Musselburgh was a Roman settlement that was established around 80 AD. Believe it or not, this makes it kind of young. Just in case you are wondering its pronounced like Edinburgh, without the ‘burg’ on the end. Mus-sell-burr-ah.
If you are travelling along the east coast of Scotland you will probably come through or past Musselburgh. It’s a nice place, made famous by seafood and being made into a burgh before Edinburgh was!
Image: Ulmus Media/Shutterstock.com
There is a lovely tale around the 14th century when the Earl of Moray (that will be Clan Moray or Murray) suffered a horrid, painful, long illness of which he eventually died. The men and women of Musselburgh took such good care of him that when the next nobleman came to replace the Earl, he offered them cash for their care. They said no, they were doing their duty. Ever since then, Musselburgh has had the tag of being an honest town… even if it might be a little fishy.
So what is there to do in this delightful town east of Edinburgh? We couldn’t’ help ourselves. We had to find out.
What to do in Musselburgh
If you were to spend some of your vacation on the south-east coast of Scotland we would absolutely recommend that you stop by Musselburgh… but what to do when you get there? Leave that to us!
Musselburgh Beach(es)
If you are there summertime then the beach is beautiful. It is one of the few beaches around the area that have lovely clean sand and very little pollution. Edinburgh and the Firth of Forth are pretty commercially busy and you have Grangemouth not far away – the leading industrial port in Europe… Mix all this together with the business of a city they used to call ‘Auld Reekie’ and you get the idea…
Luckily, a huge beach clean-up effort in the early 00’s led to a beautiful beach that extends for a solid mile at low tide. The seaweed still smells a bit but at least it’s natural now. You can sunbathe, picnic, enjoy fish and chips in the rain… anything you like!
Newhailes House & Gardens
This is the top-rated attraction on Trip Advisor and who can blame it? Newhailes is so posh it gives posh people a headache. It is described as:
“A Palladian house that played a prominent role in the Scottish Enlightenment.”
We’re not going to lie; we had to look most of those words up. It turns out it is a 17th-century villa with 18th-century additions and a view across the Forth. It’s a marvel because it was built in an era where we were still building castles and smiting each other. The idea that someone built a villa in the middle of all that is astonishing.
Also, the Scottish Enlightenment thing refers to the comparatively large numbers of academics Scotland had in the 18th and 19th Century. We say if you check, the enlightenment never stopped. Boom.
Oh, and they also have a play-park.
Musselburgh Racecourse
Similarly to Ayr racecourse, Musselburgh Racecourse is where the local elite go to watch genuine horse racing. It is a rather big thing throughout the whole of the UK, and some of the races you see on TV are actually held at Musselburgh. You have to wear a pretty hat or a nice tie. If you don’t have a shirt or shoes you will be turned away, ticket or not. It’s a cool day out but definitely a once-in-a-while thing for us peasants…
Fisherrow Village
This is down on the seafront and encompasses the harbour. The old village that Musselburgh earned its name from was initially a fishing village. Presumably a predominance of shellfish in the area made it ideal as a fishing town and helped the town to grow in prosperity. You can still visit the village and walk the footpath along the promenade. You can look at the yachts or you can visit the little beach there. There are loads of community clubs that operate out of this harbour so keep an eye out if you are in Musselburgh for longer than a day or two.
Where to Eat, Drink, and Party in Musselburgh?
One of the best restaurants in this seafood loving town is a Thai place, Try Lanna Thai for a nice experience. The Artisan Van is a food truck set out at breakfast time that 100% of locals recommend. If you have kids then pop in to Sweet Haven if you want to win the parent of the year award.
The best local bar is considered to be Staggs, but the Ship Inn is set to be a favourite. If you were to search around Scottish coastal towns we suspect you would find more than a few ‘ship inn’s. There is a nightclub nearby but it has an average of two stars so we wouldn’t recommend it in case you catch something.
Other Notable Musselburgh Attractions
What else can you see and do in Musselburgh? We couldn’t fit all the attractions into one article, but here are a few more:
- Visit the Musselburgh Museum and learn about more than just mussels.
- View or attend Michael’s Parish Church.
- Go and see the Inveresk Lodge Gardens, they are very pretty but best viewed in Spring or Summer.
So Musselburgh has more in it than you thought, didn’t it? You should go see it!
Got Five Minutes More?
If you are still sitting around with time on your hands, peruse some of our other Scottish towns if you like a bit of a laugh while you learn. If not, we have all the entertainment you could ever need to keep you busy on your break. Have a gander. It might just change your life.
