Old Gullane, Aberlady, Dirleton and Drem

Within an area widely considered to be a golfers paradise and where the game has been taught and played since the 1600s, these four villages are steeped in many other kinds of history as well. Aberlady dates to the seventh century, when a chapel was built there facilitating traffic between Iona and Lindisfarne. Today it is known for its outstanding natural beauty and for the exotic birds that overwinter in the nature reserve near the harbour. Gullane was a sleepy village which arose as an adjunct to nearby Saltcoats Castle in the fifteenth century. Its beautiful beaches and exceptional golf courses made it a popular nineteenth tourist destination which it has remained to this day. Dirleton is a very attractive village which can also boast one of Scotlands most atmospheric castle ruins the oldest part of which dates from around 1240. It was finally destroyed by Cromwells army in the seventeenth century. Drem is best known for its airfield which was an RAF base during WWII.