Musselburgh

The Romans were fond of mussels, as good a reason as any to camp here circa 80 AD. They built a bridge over the River Esk that (now in its third incarnation) still stands: the town's High Street was aligned with it but the New Bridge opened in 1806 to carry the Great North Road (the later A1), and the town developed a second spine. In the mid-1980s the A1 was diverted onto a bypass to the south. To the west, Musselburgh adjoins the Edinburgh suburbs of Portobello and Joppa. To the south was the coal-mining district of Newcraighall, now redeveloped, where Inveresk has somehow survived as a charming 17th / 18th century village. The main reason to visit Musselburgh is to go to the races.

For long-distance routes by air, rail or bus, see Edinburgh. From the airport take Skylink Bus 400 to Fort Kinnaird, then local buses for the last 3 miles into town.

By bus:

For long-distance coaches change in Edinburgh: these fly past on the A1 and don't call at Musselburgh. Lothian Buses 15, 26, 30 and 44 run to Musselburgh from Edinburgh.

East Coast Buses X5, 124 & X24 run from Edinburgh Fountainbridge along Princes St (close to but not into the bus station) then via Musselburgh along the coast road to North Berwick. They run daily every 30-60 min.

East Coast Bus 104 runs every 30 min from Edinburgh West End and Princes St via Musselburgh, Wallyford and Tranent to Haddington. East Coast Bus 106 starts from Fort Kinnaird then follows the same route from Musselburgh to Haddington; change at Haddington for buses to Dunbar and Berwick-upon-Tweed. East Coast Bus 113 runs from Edinburgh West End via Brunstane to Musselburgh then via Wallyford, Tranent and Ormiston to Pencaitland.

Night bus N26 runs hourly midnight-4AM from Edinburgh to Joppa, Musselburgh, Prestonpans and Seton Sands. At weekends night buses also run from city centre via Musselburgh to Dunbar (N106) and North Berwick (N124).

East Coast Bus 140 runs from Penicuik via Roslin (for Rosslyn Chapel), Loanhead and Dalkeith.

By train:

1 Musselburgh railway station has trains hourly from Edinburgh Waverley (6 min), which continue to Wallyford (for racecourse), Prestonpans, Longniddry, Drem and North Berwick. Trains from Dunbar also stop here every couple of hours, but most trains whirl straight through - coming from Newcastle and the south you go into Edinburgh and change.

The station is half a mile south of town centre. It has ticket machines but no staffed office, and no toilets. There are ramps to both platforms.