Symbols In November 2017, a county flag competition was launched in East Lothian to register an official
flag of East Lothian. Anyone willing to enter this competition was allowed to enter, which resulted in 623 entries to the competition; which closed on 28 February 2018. Four final flag designs were placed in a vote to the residents of East Lothian. In December 2018, the winning design was announced, designed by Archie Martin, a local man from
Musselburgh and residing in
Gifford who had worked for East Lothian Council for 23 years. Mr Martin died in July 2018. The flag features a saltire representing East Lothian as the birthplace of Scotland's flag. A gold cross signifies the wealth of East Lothian's farmlands and reputation as the granary of Scotland; with a lion in the centre representing the
Haddington lion along with blue stripes to represent the rivers
Esk and
Tyne.
Local media East Lothian is served by a local paid-for weekly newspapers, the
East Lothian Courier. The
East Lothian Courier (known locally as "The Courier") began as the Haddingtonshire Courier in 1859, before changing its name in 1971. It was owned by D&J Croal, based in Haddington, until its purchase by the Dunfermline Press Group in 2004. It is now owned by
Newsquest. The
East Lothian News was first published in 1971, as part of Scottish County Press Group, with editorial offices in
Dalkeith and printing at
Bonnyrigg (both in Midlothian). The Scottish County Press Group was acquired by Regional Independent Media in 2000, which was in turn bought by
Johnston Press in 2002. The
East Lothian News closed in 2015. There are two local community radio stations in East Lothian, broadcasting on FM and online. East Coast FM, based in Haddington, has been broadcasting since 2009.
Radio Saltire, formerly East Lothian FM, is now based in Tranent.
Notable people (by date of death) •
Gospatric II, Earl of Lothian, d.1138 •
Gospatric III, Earl of Lothian, d.1166 •
Waltheof, Earl of
Dunbar, d.1182 •
Alexander II, King of
Scots, 1198–1249 •
Black Agnes, 4th Countess of
Moray, c.1312-1369 •
Abbot Walter Bower, ca.1385–1449, canon regular of
Inchcolm Abbey, chronicler, born about at Haddington •
Sawney Bean,
cannibal and
outlaw, 15th to 16th century •
William Dunbar,
medieval poet, 1460–1520 •
John Mair or Major,
philosopher, 1467–1550 •
John Knox, leading
Protestant reformer in Scotland and founder of
Presbyterianism, c.1510-1572 •
John Cockburn of Ormiston, (d.1583) early supporter of the Scottish Reformation •
Ninian Cockburn (d.1579), soldier, an officer of the
Garde Écossaise, political intriguer •
Andrew Fletcher of Saltoun (1655–1716), writer, politician, soldier and patriot •
Adam Cockburn, Laird of Ormiston, Lord Ormiston (1656–1735), administrator, politician and judge •
John Cockburn, agricultural improver, 1695–1758 •
Andrew Meikle, inventor of the
Threshing machine, 1719–1811 •
John Brown of Haddington, 1722–1787 • Rev. Dr.
John Witherspoon, a signatory to the
United States Declaration of Independence, 1723–1794 •
George Brodie (1786?-1867), historian •
Robert Cadell (1788–1849), bookseller and publisher, closely associated with
Sir Walter Scott •
Thomas Alexander 1812-1860, Military surgeon •
Robert Moffat 1795–1883, Congregationalist missionary to Africa, and father in law of
David Livingstone •
Jane Welsh Carlyle, 1801–1866, letter-writer, and wife of
Thomas Carlyle, 1801–1866 •
Sir William Fergusson, 1st Baronet,
surgeon, 1808–1877 •
Samuel Smiles, author of
Self-Help, 1812–1904 •
Mary Balfour Herbert, watercolour painter, 1817–1893 •
Samuel Morison Brown,
chemist,
poet and
essayist, 1817–1856 •
John Muir, father of the US
National Parks, 1838–1914 •
Eleanor Mildred Sidgwick, Principal of
Newnham College, 1845–1936 •
James Porteous, inventor of the
Fresno Scraper, 1848–1922 •
Peter Hume Brown, historian, 1849–1918 •
Arthur Balfour (1848–1930),
Prime Minister, 1902–1905 •
Eleanor Mildred Sidgwick (1845–1936), mathematician and co-founder of
Newnham College,
University of Cambridge •
William George Nicholson Geddes 1913–1993, civil engineer •
Maureen Mollie Hunter McIlwraith, commonly known as Mollie Hunter 1922–2012, Scottish writer •
Peter Kerr b.1940, best-selling author of travel books and fiction •
John Bellany,
painter, 1942–2013 •
Rhona Cameron,
comedian and activist, b.1965 A number of sports personalities also have links with East Lothian: •
Willie Anderson, golfer, four times U.S. Open Golf Champion, 1901, 1903–05 •
Ian Black, professional footballer •
Callum Booth, professional footballer •
Billy Brown, football coach •
Kenny Miller, professional footballer •
Colin Nish, professional footballer •
Jim Calder rugby union player •
Gary Anderson, Darts player •
Andrew Driver, professional footballer •
Danny Handling, professional footballer •
Jason Holt, Professional footballer •
David Huish, professional golfer •
Allan Jacobsen, rugby union player •
Jim Jefferies, football manager •
John McGlynn, football manager •
Catriona Matthew, golfer •
Mathew Dawson, racehorse trainer •
Euan Burton,
judoka and
2012 Olympics contender •
Finlay Calder, rugby union player •
Ross Muir, professional snooker player •
Scott Murray, rugby union player •
Garry O'Connor, professional footballer •
Willie Ormond, footballer and manager •
Jock Taylor, World Champion motorcycle
sidecar racer •
Ben Sayers, professional golfer & club maker •
John White, footballer •
Willie Wood (bowler), professional bowler •
Dean Brett, footballer •
Josh Taylor, boxer ==Freedom of the County==