Overview of Aberlady

Located on the Firth of Forth coast, Aberlady lies 17 miles (27 km) west of Edinburgh and 5 miles (8 km) north of Haddington. A former port for Haddington, situated next to Aberlady Bay, it had a pier and harbour until the mid-19th Century, when the Peffer Burn and the bay silted up, creating salt marshes and mud flats. The old custom-house, Haddington House, remains to this day at Aberlady Point.

The Mercat Cross stands in the middle of this elongated village which possesses several interesting 18th and 19th-century buildings. Rows of red-tiled cottages with Gothic-arched windows were built by the Wemyss and March Estate c.1835. There are also some fine 19th-century villas, and the tower of the picturesque parish church dates from the 15th century. The village expanded through the building of council housing in the 1920s. The village benefits from a primary school, a post office and a few other shops. Notable buildings nearby include Luffness House, Gosford House, the ruined Kilspindie Castle and the remains of a Carmelite nunnery (13th-century).

There are three 18-hole golf courses (Kilspindie, Craigielaw and South Links).