Located a mile (1.5 km) south of Musselburgh and 5 miles (8 km) east of Edinburgh and tightly constrained by the major A1 road to the northeast and the A720 Edinburgh Bypass to the southeast, Old Craighall lies amongst a post-industrial landscape. It represents a small former mining hamlet which lay within Midlothian until the local government reorganisation of 1975. It now forms the westernmost extent of East Lothian, but suffers a lack of any community facilities.
Because the village lies within the Edinburgh green-belt, future development is tightly controlled.
At the southern end of the village is the 17th Century Monkton House, a category 'A' listed structure. Newcraighall lies 1¼ miles (2 km) to the northwest and within the City of Edinburgh Council area.
