East Lothian
§ This page gives an overview of the East Lothian local authority district, bringing together key facts, maps, and data to help you quickly understand the area. This is one of 361 LAD profiles on Baseview.
Overview ⁞ East Lothian is located along Scotland’s southeast coast, known for its beaches, golf courses, and fertile farmland. The county town is Haddington, and the area is a popular commuter region for Edinburgh as well as a tourism destination.
East Lothian Boundary Map
This map shows the official boundary of the East Lothian local authority district, based on the latest geographic data published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). It provides a clear view of the district’s extent and helps you understand how the area fits within the wider regional and national landscape.
Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2025. Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
The administrative boundary of East Lothian can also be viewed on OpenStreetMap: District Boundary of East Lothian.
Key Facts about East Lothian
What region is East Lothian in? East Lothian is in Scotland, a statistical region and also a country in United Kingdom.
Is East Lothian a city? No, East Lothian is not a city. (Note: the UK has 76 officially designated cities.)
Who governs East Lothian? The local government for this district is: East Lothian Council (Scotland Council Area).
▶ Official website of East Lothian Council 🔗 eastlothian.gov.uk
Which police force covers East Lothian? Policing in East Lothian is provided by Police Scotland 🔗 scotland.police.uk, which covers the whole of Scotland.
East Lothian in International Geographies
In the International Territorial Levels (ITLs) hierarchy, East Lothian is within an ITLs Level 3 area:
- (ITL 1) Scotland
- (ITL 2) ⇒ East Central Scotland
- (ITL 3) ⇒⇒ East Lothian and Midlothian
The International Territorial Levels are used by OECD member countries for statistical purposes to classify administrative areas. We have this listable page for easy browsing of ITL names and codes: International Territorial Levels.
Constituencies in East Lothian
East Lothian is divided into 2 parliamentary constituencies, listed below in alphabetical order.
A constituency is a specific geographical area that elects one Member of Parliament (MP) to represent them in the House of Commons. The United Kingdom is divided into 650 parliamentary constituencies, 57 of them are in Scotland. We have this list page for easy browsing of all UK parliamentary constituencies: List of Constituencies.
Wards in East Lothian
East Lothian is divided into 6 wards, listed below in alphabetical order.
- Dunbar and East Linton
- Haddington and Lammermuir
- Musselburgh
- North Berwick Coastal
- Preston, Seton and Gosford
- Tranent, Wallyford and Macmerry
In the UK, a ward is a subdivision of a local authority area, used mainly for electoral and statistical purposes. Defined by the ONS, wards represent the primary unit for local elections, each returning one or more councillors to the local council. Wards are also used as a key geography for presenting population and census data. We have this list page for easy browsing of all electoral wards: List of all Electoral Wards in the UK.
Post Towns in East Lothian
Below is a list of post towns in East Lothian, grouped by postcode area:
- EH ▸ Dunbar (EH42) ⁞ East Linton (EH40) ⁞ Gullane (EH31) ⁞ Haddington (EH41) ⁞ Humbie (EH36) ⁞ Longniddry (EH32) ⁞ Musselburgh (EH21) ⁞ North Berwick (EH39) ⁞ Prestonpans (EH32) ⁞ Tranent (EH33 / EH34 / EH35)
The UK postal hierarchy begins with broad postcode areas (such as “CB” or “M”), which are divided into smaller postcode districts (such as “CB8” or “M1”) to support accurate mail routing. Each postal address is anchored by a designated post town, the official locality name used in the UK postcode system, which operates independently from Local Authority Districts —the administrative boundaries used for council tax and local government services. Because they serve different purposes, a property’s postal address and its local authority district do not always align exactly.
Built-up Areas in East Lothian
East Lothian covers 28 built-up areas, listed below in alphabetical order.
- Aberlady
- Archerfield the Village
- Blindwells
- Broxburn (East Lothian)
- Cockenzie and Port Seton
- Dirleton
- Dunbar
- East Fortune
- East Linton
- Easter Pencaitland
- Edinburgh *
- Elphinstone
- Gifford
- Gullane
- Haddington
- Innerwick
- Longniddry
- Macmerry
- Musselburgh *
- New Mains
- North Berwick
- Ormiston
- Prestonpans
- Tranent
- Wallyford
- West Barns
- Wester Pencaitland
- Whitecraig
In the UK, a Built-up Area (BUA) is a continuous urban area of at least 20 hectares (0.2 km²), defined by the ONS as land where buildings are generally no more than 200 metres apart, such as towns, cities, or large villages. (Note: A BUA name marked with an asterisk (*) indicates that the area is situated partly in the district of East Lothian.)
We have this list page for easy browsing of all built-up areas: List of all Built-up Areas in GB.
Railway Stations in East Lothian
East Lothian is served by a number of National Rail stations, providing rail connections to nearby towns, cities, and destinations across Great Britain. The railway stations listed below are located within the East Lothian Local Authority District and are grouped by train operating company for clarity.
- ScotRail ▸ North Berwick (EH39 4BY) ⁞ Musselburgh (EH21 6TT) ⁞ Dunbar (EH42 1JX) ⁞ Wallyford (EH21 8DZ) ⁞ Prestonpans (EH33 1NG) ⁞ Longniddry (EH32 0LS) ⁞ Drem (EH39 5LW) ⁞ East Linton (EH40 3EL)
This is a district-level view only. For a complete list of all National Rail stations across Great Britain, see the UK National Rail Stations Directory.