Please see a list of special events offered by the History Society for the ELAHF fortnight. You can check out these and other events on the ELAHF website.
1st September 2026, 2.30pm – 4 pm Illustrated talk on the Pilgrim Walks in South East Scotland by Tom Brownlee, Star Room, John Gray Centre
Pilgrimage has been described as a sacred journey or a journey with a profound spiritual meaning. East Lothian and the wider region contain a significant number of pilgrimage sites and routes which Tom will discuss in his illustrated talk. A retired religious studies teacher, Tom recently completed the St Cuthbert’s Way. This event is open to all. Booking through ELAHF website Cost: £5
3rd September 2026, 7.30pm – 9pm Shipwreck Archaeology in the Lothians by Dr Dan Atkinson, Holy Trinity Church, Church Street, Haddington. Free to Haddington’s History Society Member, Non-members £3 donation at door
4th September 2026, Talk and Tour Event at Papple Steading, The Richard Demarco Gallery, Papple Steading
- 11 am – 12.00 noon Steam Ploughing in East Lothian, Dr Heather Holmes, Ethnologist – A survey of the development and use of steam ploughing and cultivation in East Lothian from the early 1830s until 2016. After briefly describing what steam ploughing and cultivation is, Heather looks at how it developed throughout the county, who were the most important farmers and landowners involved in it and their activities, how this innovation was received on farms in the county and its impact on East Lothian agriculture.
- 1pm Tour of Papple Steading – The steading tells the story of how the small Papple Estate transformed during the Agricultural Improvement period and further developed into the ‘perfect’ model farm in 1860 as part of Balfour’s Whittingehame state.
£5 admission includes coffee served from 10.30 am at The Gallery
Booking and payment through ELAHF website Pastries, lunch and dinner can be booked at Eve’s Court restaurant open from 9 am
to 9 pm.
9th September 2026, 10.30 – 12.30 am and 2.30 – 16.30 pm Hidden History of the Hidden Toun – the Progress and Perils of the 1800s! John Gray Centre, Local History Rooms
23rd September 2026, 10.30 – 12.30 am and 2.30 – 16.30 pm Hidden History of the Hidden Toun – the Progress and Perils of the 1800s!
John Gray Centre, Local History Rooms
These Hidden Toun events comprise a one hour Archive Talk with illustrative 1800s documents discussed followed by a one hour 1800’s Walk to locations of interest within the town.
Please join Lorna Colvin-MacLean from Haddington’s History Society and the Ruth Fyfe, Archivist at the John Gray Centre, to review documents and stories from the period and look at some fine examples of 19th Century municipal buildings and mansions. This tour will appeal to new and life-long residents of Haddington who are interested in Haddington’s amazing history and architecture.
Haddington is an historic market town which has more than made its mark on Scotland’s history and we can prove it!
Fee £10 – Funds raised for Haddington’s History Society.
Booking essential through ELAHF Maximum Attendees per Tour: 12