Barns Ness Lighthouse

Barns Ness Lighthouse is 3.1 miles (5 km) from Dunbar and was constructed by the engineers and brothers David A. Stevenson and Charles Alexander Stevenson, cousins of the novelist Robert Louis Stevenson, between 1899 and 1901. Taking approximately 2½ years to construct, it was constructed from stone quarried from Craigree (near Cramond) and Barnton. In 1976 it was described as a tall tower, slightly tapered with a circular section having a circular lantern which has triangular panes and a domed roof. The keepers' cottages were, as is typical, one floored, flat roofed buildings which were coated with harling but had their quoins exposed. The lintel above the door to the lighthouse is dated 1901. Within the compound of the lighthouse there was also a sundial and a flagpole. The stone proved resilient during the Second World War, when the lighthouse was machine-gunned yet sustained no damage. The lighthouse was staffed by two lighthouse-keepers until 1966 when it was electrified, with a backup generator and emergency battery (used if the generator failed). It remained semi-automated, requiring only a single keeper, until 1986, when it was completely automated. The power of the sealed beam light system was up to 1,300,000 candlepower. In early 2005, the UK and Ireland lighthouse authorities issued a consultation regarding a review of lighthouses, and it was decided that the Barns Ness Lighthouse was no longer needed. It was deactivated in October 2005. It was put up for sale in 2006.

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Skateraw Lifeboat Station

Skateraw Lifeboat Station was located at Skateraw, a hamlet approximately 5 miles (8.0 km) south-east of Dunbar, now in the shadow of Torness nuclear power station, on the coast of East Lothian, formerly Haddingtonshire, Scotland. A lifeboat station was established at Skateraw in 1907, by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), operating as a satellite station of Dunbar. After 36 years in operation, Skateraw Lifeboat Station was closed in 1943.

Skateraw (East Lothian)

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.

2.3 km

Broxmouth

The Broxmouth hillfort is an Iron Age hillfort consisting of multiple roundhouses, a series of fortifications, and a cemetery. Broxmouth is located in East Lothian near Dunbar. The land surrounding Broxmouth is some of the richest farmlands in Scotland, and as a result this region produced a significant amount of cropmark evidence for late prehistoric settlements, including Broxmouth. In addition to agriculture, Broxmouth hillfort is located about 600 metres from the North Sea coast, providing the inhabitants access to waters for fishing. During the early centuries of its occupation, Broxmouth was one of largest settlements in the region. Very thorough excavations of Broxmouth were carried out from 1977 to 1979 in response to the construction of a concrete works on the site. The excavations revealed a complex set of enclosures, multiple well preserved multi-phase roundhouses, and a range of artefacts. The excavations also revealed an extensive assemblage of animal bones and shells, as well as an Iron Age cemetery. It is unusual for Iron Age artefacts like these to survive, and it is quite rare for formal cemeteries such as the one at Broxmouth to be uncovered. As a result, Broxmouth provides valuable information about Iron Age Scottish settlements and burial practices.

Battle of Dunbar (1650)

The Battle of Dunbar was fought between the English New Model Army, under Oliver Cromwell, and a Scottish army commanded by David Leslie on 3 September 1650 near Dunbar, Scotland. The battle resulted in a decisive victory for the English. It was the first major battle of the 1650 invasion of Scotland, which was triggered by Scotland's acceptance of Charles II as king of Britain after the beheading of his father, Charles I on 30 January 1649. After Charles I's execution, the English Rump Parliament established a republican Commonwealth in England. When their erstwhile ally, Scotland, recognised Charles II as king of all of Britain on 1 May 1650 and began recruiting an army to support him, the English dispatched the New Model Army, under the command of Cromwell. The army crossed into Scotland on 22 July, with a force of over 16,000 men. The Scots withdrew to Edinburgh, stripping the land of provisions. Cromwell attempted to draw the Scots out into a set piece battle, but they resisted, and Cromwell was unable to break through their defensive line. At the end of August, with his army weakened through disease and lack of food, Cromwell withdrew to the port of Dunbar. The Scottish army followed and took up an unassailable position on Doon Hill, overlooking the town. On 2 September, although many of their most experienced men had been dismissed in religious purges, the Scots advanced towards Dunbar and the English took up positions outside the town. Before dawn on 3 September the English launched a surprise attack on the Scots, who were poorly prepared. The fighting was restricted to the north-eastern flank with the main contingents of English and Scottish cavalry fighting inconclusively, as did the English and Scottish infantry. Due to the terrain Leslie was unable to reinforce the fighting, while Cromwell used his last reserve to outflank the Scots. The Scottish cavalry broke and routed; the Scottish infantry made a fighting retreat but suffered heavy casualties. Between 300 and 500 Scots were killed, approximately 1,000 wounded and at least 6,000 were taken prisoner from an army of 12,500 or fewer. After the battle, the Scottish government took refuge in Stirling, where Leslie rallied what remained of his army. The English captured Edinburgh and the strategically important port of Leith. In the summer of 1651 the English crossed the Firth of Forth to land a force in Fife; they defeated the Scots at Inverkeithing and so threatened the northern Scottish strongholds. In response, Leslie and Charles II marched the Scottish army south in an unsuccessful attempt to rally Royalist supporters in England. The Scottish government, left in an untenable situation, surrendered to Cromwell, who then followed the Scots south. At the Battle of Worcester, precisely one year after the Battle of Dunbar, Cromwell crushed the Scottish army, ending the war.