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The town of Musselburgh ten kilometres east of Edinburgh dates from Roman times. They built a bridge over the River Esk and a fort to defend it. Their bridge has been rebuilt several times, but it still functions as a pedestrian crossing. Older than the Roman remains is the Inveresk Cursus, a long mound left from Neolithic times in the south of the town.
Activities and attractions
The Musselburgh Racecourse is one of the more unusual in the country. Flat racing moved there from Leith Sands in 1816, and National Hunt meets were added in 1987. The track was built around a nine-hole golf course dating from the seventeenth century. This was the site of the founding of the Musselburgh Golf Club in 1774. The club has moved on, but Mussleburgh Links remain. The course is now operated by the council and is quite inexpensive.
That same Musselburgh Golf Club moved first to a more expansive 18 hole course at Muirfield and then to the present purpose-built course in a deep bend in the Esk in the 1930s. The course's fairways are long, but relatively flat. A burn snakes across several of the fairways, but otherwise straightforward except for their length.
Stone-walled Inveresk Lodge Gardens on its hillside holds an aviary in its Victorian conservatory. More birds are found in the grounds: swans, ducks and geese live in its ponds and an assortment of native species inhabit the woods and fields. The gardens are open all year and are delightful even in winter, with red berries against green holly leaves and buttery yellow winter aconite blooming in sunny patches. In warmer seasons the National Tropaeolum Collection's nasturtiums are scattered like so many jewels, and shrub roses bloom in glorious profusion. The autumn colours of deciduous foliage is almost as spectacular as summer's blooms.
A few kilometres across the Esk stands the ruins of fourteenth century Craigmillar Castle near the village of the same name. The castle is in very good condition. Its central keep sits in a courtyard along with several ranges of small buildings. The highly defensible courtyard wall dates from the fifteenth century. Outside this is a second wall surrounding not only the fortress but also the chapel and a doocot. The castle was burned in 1544 when Henry VIII of England came north to force a marriage between his son, afterwards Edward VI, and the two-year-old Mary, Queen of Scots. Craigmillar was immediately rebuilt and improved. Queen Mary visited the castle much later in life when she was ill after the birth of her son. It was here that the Craigmillar Bond was struck between several of her nobles to "remove" Henry, Lord Darnley, the Queen's husband.
Access and Places to Stay
The A199 from Dunbar to Edinburgh serves as Musselburgh's High Street. The A1 London to Edinburgh road bypasses the town centre but is still quite accessible. Bus service into the capital and to other nearby destinations is frequent and convenient, as are rail connections from Musselburgh's two stations and from nearby Newcraighall Station. While bringing or hiring a car is not a necessity in Musselburgh, it makes the enjoyment of outlying attractions far more convenient.
Accommodation in the town can involve caravanning, camping or self-catering accommodation as well as B&Bs, country hotels and modern chains. Dining options range from basic pub grub and takeaway to full service restaurants. The Ravelston House is on e of the best for a splurge. Their oven-baked haddock is a particular treat.
Accommodation in Musselburgh
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