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| Prestongrange Colliery Outing, 1913 |
Prestongrange Museum
Visit Prestongrange on the East Lothian Coast Trail less than 15 miles from central Edinburgh. Prestongrange tells the story - past and present - of local industries and the people who worked in them. From the Visitor Centre you can join a guided tour, or explore Prestongrange with a self-guided audio tour.
Coal was first mined here eight hundred years ago. Local deposits encouraged the growth of many other industries - brick and pipe making, pottery, a soapworks, salt making and brewing.
Audio Tour
Visitors to Prestongrange can now take a self-guided audio tour of the site, narrated by the artist John Bellany. Ask one of the Museum Assistants for an MP3 player and headphones - instructions and a map are available.
The tour is also available outside museum opening hours through your mobile phone - just dial 0870 005 3161, wait till you have connected, listen to the menu, then press the number for the part of the tour you want to hear. Calls are charged at national rates, which vary according to individual phone tariffs. This aspect of the tour is currently being tested, but feel free to have a go! Find out more at tour.prestongrange.org.
Community Archaeology Project
The Community Archaeology Project is now in its second season on site. The project was developed and co-ordinated by East Lothian Council Archaeological Service and East Lothian Council Museums Service, and was launched on Saturday 24 April 2004 at the museum.
The Project provides local volunteers with the opportunity to take an active role in archaeological work assisting professional archaeologists to uncover more about the history of the site. The first phase has three main aims:
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to investigate the 16th century harbour, fort, vaults and tidal mill, the 17th century glassworks, the 18th century pottery and the 19th century tollbooth over a two year period.
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to provide information which will contribute to the long-term conservation and interpretation of Prestongrange
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to enable interested individuals and local communities to get actively involved in a long term archaeological project, working alongside qualified archaeologists
The project has been supported by a £50,000 grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund.
Contact details
Morrison's Haven
Prestonpans
East Lothian
Open daily 11am to 4pm April to October
Admission Free
Tel +44 (0)131 653 2904
Access information
There is level access to the Visitor Centre, Power House and across the site; there are steps up to and within the Beam Engine House. Some pathways are gravelled. Toilets are in the Visitor Centre.
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