Inveresk is a historic village, lying immediately to the south of Musselburgh in East Lothian, of which it is now a suburb. It lies on the right bank of the River Esk, just to the north of the East Coast Main Line railway. Inveresk was settled in Roman times and the remains of both a 1st Century settlement and fort are of considerable archaeological interest. The village, which comprises a remarkable collection of 18th and 19th Century listed buildings, is protected as part of an Outstanding Conservation Area. Noteworthy are the "A" listed St. Michael's Church and the 18th Century Inveresk House, built around a 16th Century core and which was used by Oliver Cromwell (1599 - 1654) as his headquarters in 1650. Inveresk Lodge (1683) is owned by the National Trust for Scotland and its gardens are open to the public. Inveresk Gate (1774) was home to Admiral Sir David Milne (1763 - 1845) and his son and notable scientist David Milne-Home (1805-90). In 1947, the house became the headquarters of the Institute of Seaweed Research, with laboratories built adjacent. These premises were later occupied by the drug-testing company Inveresk Research, now based at Elphinstone. Inveresk Gate and its grounds were re-developed in 2000 as a 'gated community', comprising exclusive luxury detached houses, overlooking the river. Other notable residents included clergyman Jupiter Carlyle (1722 - 1805) and town-planner Sir Frank Mears (1880 - 1953).
Inveresk had a railway station between 1846 and 1970. Today it benefits from an industrial estate, redeveloped from the mills located alongside the river and to the east lies Edenhall Hospital.
