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| Aberlady - A Short History
In The Beginning
Archaeological records indicate that a settlement at Aberlady dates from at least the 7th century AD but it was probably located to the north of the present church ( i.e. at Kilspindie Castle - remains of the castle can still be seen, see picture, right. ), where some
Kilspindie Castle ( remains of )
The present layout of the village is medieval in origin and may date to the 12th century. It was then, in 1149, when King David 1 was on the Scottish throne, that Aberlady was - in a Royal Charter - confirmed as a port. But it took almost 500 years more ( 1633 ) before it was officially recognised as 'The Port of Haddington'. The same year - 30 years after the union of the crowns - Charles 1 King of England was also crowned King of Scotland.
Silted Up
Name
The origin of the name, Aberlady is unclear. Throughout its history there has been many different spellings used.
It has been known as Aberlessic ( 12th century ), Abirleuedi, Aberlefti (13th century ) and in the 15th century Abirladye, Aberladye, Abirlathie to mention a few.
'aber' means 'mouth of', and it is thought that the Peffer Burn was once known as the 'Leddie', which leads some people to believe that it is from these two words that the name is derived.Under its new status Aberlady prospered. Over the years
Aberlady Bay has silted up, but at that time ships of around 60 or
70 tons were able to anchor quite close to shore, with their
cargoes of timber, manure, bark for the tanners, etc.. The customs
house ( circa. 17th century ), situated close to the present day
Kilspindie Golf Club, was known as 'The Town of Haddington's
House' and was where all shipping transactions took place.
There were some however who preferred to carry on their business in an unofficial manner. I am referring to the smugglers who were known to ply their trade in the area.
Decline
By the early 18th century Aberlady was thriving and it had become a
major centre for weaving. This prosperity did not last for much longer though - only until the mid 19th century - when
Aberlady was in serious decline. So much so that the rights of
anchorage, etc., were sold to the Earl of Wemyss for the sum of
£375. The port of Leith became the preferred destination for cargo,
and the arrival of the railways meant that goods no longer needed to
be transported through Aberlady. As it declined as a port the weavers
and others gradually drifted away.
But the railway did offer some compensation in that, when the Gullane
and Aberlady railway was opened on 1st April 1898, it made access
to the village much easier, and consequently it attracted a lot of
visitors, much as it does today.
War Years
Aberlady would once again come to the fore during World War 2 when Gosford House was taken over in 1940 as a camp to house british troops including the Kings Own Scottish Borderers. Later in the war it was used as a POW camp for German prisoners. Considering that it was war time they were treated very well.
Today East Lothian's coastline, including its beaches, is considered a 
Anti-tank Block
After the war Aberlady returned to being just another sleepy East Lothian village. And it has retained this charm to the present day.
Please tell your friends about The Aberlady Pages ( aberlady.net ) web site .
|  18th Century House
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