Gullane
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Gullane
| |
---|---|
Gullane Village, looking along the A198 | |
Location within Scotland | |
Population | 2,810 (mid-2020 est.)[2] |
OS grid reference | NT486830 |
Civil parish | |
Council area | |
Lieutenancy area | |
Country | Scotland |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
Post town | Gullane |
Postcode district | EH31 |
Dialling code | 01620 84**** |
Police | Scotland |
Fire | Scottish |
Ambulance | Scottish |
UK Parliament | |
Scottish Parliament | |
Gullane (/ˈɡʌlən/ GUL-ən or /ˈɡɪlən/ GIL-ən) is a town on the southern shore of the Firth of Forth in East Lothian on the east coast of Scotland. There has been a church in the village since the ninth century. The ruins of the Old Church of St. Andrew built in the twelfth century can still be seen at the western entrance to the village; the church was abandoned after a series of sandstorms made it unusable, and Dirleton Parish Church took its place.
Gullane Bents, the village's award-winning
The local population includes a higher than average percentage of elderly people, but also attracts young families and commuters for Edinburgh.
Toponymy
The etymology of Gullane is uncertain. It may come from Scottish Gaelic word Gualainn[3] or A' Ghualainn. However, this could be unlikely, as East Lothian and surrounding regions were mostly outside of the Gaelic sphere of influence, even at the language's peak in the country around the 11th century. The region mostly spoke Old English, Middle English, or Early Scots, depending on the timeframe.
The village used to be known as Golyn. So the name could come from a Brythonic language (likely Cumbric) word lyn or linn (cognate with the Welsh word lyn/llyn, meaning lake.) This name may have come from a now drained piece of water that sat at or near the old parish church of St Andrews.[4]
The name Golyn may also come from the Middle English work gōl (meaning boundary or limit.) This could be because Golyn parish (the kirk being moved from Gullane to Dirleton in 1632 by an act of the Scottish Parliament) was one of the most northern parishes of Anglo-Saxon influence in Britain in early medieval times, as anything north of the Firth of Forth would have been under the control of the Picts or Gaels. It is unknown if the area was named Golyn before or after the Scottish annexation. The church that served the parish was built around 1170, after East Lothian had been annexed by the Kingdom of Scotland. But the people of the time may have still viewed themselves as being Anglo-Saxons, or English, rather than Scottish.
Buildings of interest
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service formerly had their training school based at Gullane (which was relocated to new buildings in Cambuslang in 2013).
Gullane War Memorial was erected in 1914, reflecting both the immediate loss of life to the community, but also the emotional impact. Although not unique in having such an early memorial it is nonetheless unusual. Names were added as the war continued. The monument was designed by
Golf
Gullane is the home of
Abutting Gullane Number 3 course is the Luffness Golf Club course and a Children's Course.
Notable residents
- Ronnie Corbett, comedian and TV personality
- Andrew Driver, professional footballer
- Quintin Jardine, celebrated crime novelist
- Sydney Mitchell, architect
- Ann Stokes, the ceramicist was born here at the manse in 1922
See also
References
- ^ "Gaelic Place-Names of Scotland database". Ainmean-Àite na h-Alba. Retrieved 21 July 2015.
- ^ "Mid-2020 Population Estimates for Settlements and Localities in Scotland". National Records of Scotland. 31 March 2022. Retrieved 31 March 2022.
- ^ Gaelic Placenames collected by Iain Mac an Tailleir (2003)
- ^ The New Statistical Account of Scotland - Vol. II: Linlithgow, Haddington Berwick. Edinburgh: William Blackwood & Sons. 1845. p. 203.
- ^ Dictionary of Scottish Architects: Robert Lorimer
External links
- Gullane travel guide from Wikivoyage
- East Lothian Council - Walks around Gullane[permanent dead link]