PEOPLE throughout East Lothian will have the chance to celebrate the county’s rich history and heritage when East Lothian Archaeology & Heritage Fortnight gets under way next month.

The programme features a variety of events, both online and in-person, including guided walks and talks, excavations and surveys, as well as online exhibitions and videos.

The annual showcase gets under way on Saturday, September 3, and runs until Sunday, September 18, with events taking place at many of the county’s historically important sites.

Highlights include the chance to join archaeologists at work on the 1722 Waggonway Dig to unearth more of Cockenzie’s industrial past.

Visitors will also get a chance to discover the secrets behind Traprain Law and the treasures that hide within the Bronze Age hillfort, on a guided tour with Dr Fraser Hunter.

There will also be a number of guided walks exploring the history of Wallyford, Gullane, Prestonpans, Musselburgh and the mills of East Linton, as well as historic graveyard tours at Spott and Dunbar, discovering the stories about local people and families.

War and battles also play a major role in the county’s history and visitors will get the chance to take part in a narrative walk on the site of the 1650 Battle of Dunbar, and tour the siege lines and hidden fortifications of the 16th-century lost fort in Haddington.

There will also be a talk by Dr Amy Blakeway, from the University of St Andrews, exploring the repercussions of the Battle of Pinkie Cleugh in September 1547, when the Scottish army was heavily defeated by an English force.

A range of talks and presentations, both online and in person, are also on offer – about Vikings in southern Scotland, geothermal energy from old coal mines, agricultural reform in the 18th-century, Saltcoats Castle, glorious gardens, and East Lothian’s lost railway lines.

Councillor John McMillan, cabinet member for environment, economic development and tourism, said: “East Lothian has been the scene of many significant historical events that have impacted and shaped the development of Scotland, the UK and further afield.

“From Athelstaneford and King Angus’s vision prior to his victory against Saxon invaders in the ninth century, said to have inspired the Saltire as Scotland’s flag, to the Anglo-Scottish wars of the 16th century that included the Battle of Pinkie and the occupation of Haddington, every part of our modern county has an abundant and sometimes unknown past.

“Into the 17th century, Dunbar was the focus for Cromwell’s invasion and, a century later, the Battle of Prestonpans was a significant event during the Jacobean era.

“Into more recent times, the industrial revolution saw the rapid expansion into coal production, the development and expansion of railways and the greater emergence of women into the workplace.

“Archaeology & Heritage Fortnight is a wonderful mix of talks and guided tours, practical demonstrations and hands-on experiences.”

The full programme is available at eastlothian.gov.uk/archaeologyfortnight