Skateraw is a small settlement in East Lothian, Scotland, centred on the Georgian farmhouse of Skateraw House and Skateraw Farm. It was formerly the site of a World War I airfield.
Skateraw has a small sandy, crescent-shaped beach sheltered within Skateraw harbour, although the skyline is rather dominated by the large Torness nuclear power station which sits at the eastern end of the harbour. Part of the John Muir Way runs along a walkway along the seawall protecting the power station. [1] There is a car park and public toilets near the beach which are open from May to September. [2]
Skateraw house is a B listed 6 bedroom Georgian farmhouse. [3] Robert Burns mentions visiting Skateraw House in his Border Journals, albeit the current house post dates his visit. [4]
The area was home to a military aerodrome during the First World War, this was manned by No.77 Squadron of the Royal Flying Corps, later the Royal Air Force, which operated Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2 and B.E.12 aeroplanes. The airfield opened in 1917 and closed in 1919. [5] There is a commentating plaque on the site which was unveiled there on 11 November 2018. [6]
In the 1930s, the minister of the Canongate church in Edinburgh, Reverend Ronald Selby Wright, ran a club for the poor boys living in the parish. He frequently took them camping at Skateraw. A cross near the ruins at Skateraw is a memorial to six of these boys who were killed in World War II. [7]
Skateraw is located in an area which has rich limestone deposits, currently being exploited by the nearby Lafarge Cement Works at Whitesands. Extraction of lime has been conducted in this area for hundreds of years. There are limekilns dating from the 18th Century at the eastern end of the harbour. The calcareous rock also explains some of the botanical interest in this site, as the lime-rich rock favours plants which prefer an alkaline soil. Any plants living here must also be able to tolerate some salinity as these coastal grasslands can be subject to regular onshore gales from the North Sea. These factors lead to a specific habitat and there are several species which are unique to this area within East Lothian, such as Autumn gentian, white horehound and yellow-horned poppy. [2] The site is also a favoured site for birdwatchers looking for rare and scarce migrant birds in the Spring and Autumn. [8]
East Lothian is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, as well as a historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area. The county was also known as Haddingtonshire.
West Lothian is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, and was one of its historic counties. The county, which was known as Linlithgowshire, was bounded geographically by the Avon to the west and the Almond to the east. The modern council area occupies a larger area than the historic county. It was reshaped following local government reforms in the late 20th century: some areas in the west were transferred to Falkirk; some areas in the east were transferred to Edinburgh; and some areas that had formerly been part of in Midlothian were added.
Dunbar is a town on the North Sea coast in East Lothian in the south-east of Scotland, approximately 30 miles east of Edinburgh and 30 mi (50 km) from the English border north of Berwick-upon-Tweed.
Livingston is the largest town in West Lothian, Scotland. Designated in 1962, it is the fourth post-war new town to be built in Scotland. Taking its name from a village of the same name incorporated into the new town, it was originally developed in the then-counties of Midlothian and West Lothian. It is situated approximately fifteen miles (25 km) west of Edinburgh and thirty miles (50 km) east of Glasgow, and is close to the towns of Broxburn to the north-east and Bathgate to the north-west.
North Berwick is a seaside town and former royal burgh in East Lothian, Scotland. It is situated on the south shore of the Firth of Forth, approximately 20 miles (32 km) east-northeast of Edinburgh. North Berwick became a fashionable holiday resort in the nineteenth century because of its two sandy bays, the East Bay and the West Bay, and continues to attract holidaymakers. Golf courses at the ends of each bay are open to visitors.
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Seacliff comprises a beach, an estate and a harbour. It lies 4 miles east of North Berwick, East Lothian, Scotland.
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Edinburgh North and Leith is a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, first used in the 1997 general election. It elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election.
Silverknowes is a district of Edinburgh, Scotland. Silverknowes lies to the northwest of the city. The district contains over 2000 homes, ranging in size from bungalow to semi-detached housing, much of it built during the mid-twentieth century.
Aberlady is a coastal village in the Scottish council area of East Lothian. The village had an estimated population of 1,260 in 2020.
Royal Air Force Kirknewton, otherwise known as RAF Kirknewton, is a Royal Air Force station at Whitemoss, a mile south east of Kirknewton, West Lothian, Scotland. It is retained by the Ministry of Defence, as Kirknewton Airfield and is home to 661 Volunteer Gliding Squadron.
Prestonpans is a small mining town, situated approximately eight miles east of Edinburgh, Scotland, in the unitary council area of East Lothian. The population as of 2020 is 10,460. It is near the site of the 1745 Battle of Prestonpans. The town, established in the eleventh century, has a variety of important historical architecture, including: Preston Tower and the doocot and the local Mercat Cross, which is the only one of its kind in Scotland that remains in its original form and location. Prestonpans is "Scotland's Mural Town", with many murals depicting local history.
The Scottish Seabird Centre is a marine conservation and education charity, that is supported by a 5 star visitor attraction in North Berwick, East Lothian, Scotland. Opened by HRH Duke of Rothesay in 2000 and funded by the Millennium Commission. The showpiece of the centre is the interactive live cameras out to the wildlife on the Firth of Forth islands, including Bass Rock, Isle of May, Fidra and Craigleith. The Bass Rock is the world's largest colony of Northern gannets with an estimated 150,000 birds present.
Newtonhill is a commuter town in Kincardineshire, Scotland. It is popular due to its location, just six miles south of Aberdeen with easy reach of Stonehaven and with views over the North Sea.
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Ladywell is an area, primarily residential in Livingston, West Lothian, Scotland. It is bordered to the north by Knightsridge, to the south by Howden, to the west by Eliburn and to the east by the A899 road.
Prestongrange Museum is an industrial heritage museum at Prestongrange between Musselburgh and Prestonpans on the B1348 on the East Lothian coast, Scotland. Founded as the original site of the National Mining Museum, its operation reverted to East Lothian Council Museum Service in 1992.
Levenhall Links is a coastal, industrial, and recreational area at Musselburgh, East Lothian, Scotland, UK; it is adjacent to Musselburgh Racecourse, Morrison's Haven and Prestongrange Industrial Heritage Museum. Its western boundary is the River Esk and its eastern is at Morrison's Haven.