John Muir's Birthplace

29/08/2026

One of our staff was getting ready to join an East Lothian Walking Festival event in East Linton last week and spotted this amazing John Muir inspired work! We love it 🍃⛰️🌳

28/08/2026

East Lothian Archaeology & Heritage Fortnight is organised annually by East Lothian Council Archaeology Service and runs from 29th August until 13th September as part of Archaeology Scotland’s Scottish Archaeology Month.

There is a fantastic programme this year with nearly 60 exciting events, including talks, guided walks, re-enactments, exhibitions and workshops, or tune in online to a series of presentations. Follow the link below to explore the programme of events.

Come along and celebrate East Lothian’s fascinating history and archaeology.
Find out more - https://ow.ly/l5zn50ZGpmT

John Gray Centre

26/08/2026

Run in partnership with , the Visual Artist and Craft Makers Awards (VACMA) are available for individual artists and makers, based or resident in East Lothian.�
The purpose of these bursaries is to support visual artists and craft makers in their creative and professional development.

🚨 Please note: This year, East Lothian will take part in the second round of funding. The deadline for this is 5pm on 2nd February 2027.

VACMA offers two levels of bursaries:
* £1000
* £500
For this round, rather than being funded based on your experience, the artist is allowed to choose which level of funding they need for their project.

More information and application forms will be available on our website very soon. Please stay tuned for updates.

23/08/2026

Good morning! We are having some problems with our website today (23rd August). We’re open between 1pm and 5pm and look forward to welcoming you!

20/08/2026

😀Excitement levels are rising as it’s almost Walkfest time! Events start this Saturday & there are still last minute tickets available for some walks. If you’ve booked but plans have changed, this is a gentle reminder to return your tickets via the Citizen ticket website (by going into your wallet & clicking the blue RETURN button) as many walks have waiting lists - thank you. Here’s the link:

https://www.citizenticket.com/organiser/east-lothian-walking-festival/

🗓️ Walkfest 2026: August 22nd to September 1st

19/08/2026

There's a fantastic exhibition on a Dukes of West Barns at the moment. We can't recommend it enough - Glen Gibb has a brilliant eye for the landscape around Dunbar, highlighting all those familiar views we see on our journeys to work and our walks around the area.

We are lucky enough to have a limited print run of Glen's artwork on cards and postcards in the museum.

13/08/2026

12/08/2026

We are looking forward to our new exhibition opening at the weekend!

🌊 Making Waves: LesleyMay Miller
🌊 Saturday 15 August - Sunday 27 September
🌊 Wednesday - Sunday 1-5pm
🌊 Free entry

Making Waves showcases the remarkable work of Dunbar resident LesleyMay Miller (b.1934), a sculptor, painter, photographer, printmaker and poet.

A graduate of Edinburgh College of Art at the University of Edinburgh, she has spent decades exploring diverse media, inspired by nature, world cultures and her extensive travels, including a cycling journey to India in 1982. This exhibition brings together ceramic sculpture, paintings, prints, etchings, poetry and handmade artist’s books, revealing her eclectic creative vision. At its heart is a powerful book commemorating the 1919 HMY Iolaire disaster, off Stornoway, which also inspired a short film premiering here.

Through this collection, LesleyMay shares a lifetime of creativity and curiosity.

12/08/2026

❤️ Heart of Dunbar Festival 2026 – what’s on around our town

There is so much happening across Dunbar from 15–23 August, so save this post and start planning! 👇

📅 Saturday 15 August

🎉 Parade & Fun Day
📍 Parade leaves Dunbar Swimming Pool at 11.30am
Route: Swimming Pool → High Street → West Port → Countess Crescent → Bleachingfield

🎪 Fun Day at Bleachingfield – 12–4pm
Royal Court, community performances, bouncy castle, face painting, stalls, family activities, food trucks, Beat the Robot, table tennis, races and much more.
FREE | No booking required

📅 Sunday 16 August

🏃 Hub to Horizon – 9–11.30am
📍 Sports + Fitness HUB, East Links Family Park
FREE | Age 16+
Booking: https://bookwhen.com/sportsfitnesshub/e/ev-spar2-20260816090000

🐶 Heart of Dunbar Festival presents Bark in the Park Dog Show – 10.30am–12.30pm
📍 Lauderdale Park
£5 per dog
Tickets: https://www.skiddle.com/e/42487847

🏖️ Sandcastles, Stones and Surf – 1.30–3.30pm
📍 Belhaven Beach & Belhaven Surf Centre
FREE | All ages | No booking required
Build a sandcastle individually or as a team for the chance to win a prize.

🎯 Dunbar Pétanque – Come and Try – 2–4pm
📍 Lauderdale Park
FREE | No booking required

🏄 SUP Dragon Race – 4–8pm
📍 Belhaven Surf Centre
£40 per team of 4 | Age 7+
More info: [email protected]

⛪ St Anne’s Church Service – 4pm
📍 St Anne’s Church, Westgate
FREE | No booking required

📅 Monday 17 August

🧘 Kosa Yoga – Community Beach Yoga – 9.30–10.30am
📍 Belhaven Beach
FREE | No booking required

🥌 Wee Bite and Blether – Indoor Kurling – 1.30–3pm
📍 West Barns Village Hall
FREE | No booking required

📅 Tuesday 18 August

🎳 Bowling Try Out Session – 6–7.30pm
📍 West Barns Bowling Club
FREE | Ages 7+ | No booking required

⚓ Dunbar Sea Cadets Open Evening – 7pm
📍 Dunbar Harbour
Bad weather venue: Sea Cadets Unit, North Road
FREE | No booking required

🎶 Station Yard Micropub – Sea Shanty Night – 7.30–9.30pm
📍 Station Yard, Station Road
FREE | No booking required

📅 Wednesday 19 August

🧸 West Barns Playgroup – Play Session – 10–11.50am
📍 West Barns Village Hall
£3.50 first child | £1 each additional child | Baby Club £1 donation

🧠 Family Friendly Quiz – 4–6pm
📍 Station Yard, Station Road
£10 per team | Maximum 6 per team

🏹 Archery Try Out Session – 6–7.30pm
📍 Dunbar Grammar School Field
£5 adults | £3 juniors

🌿 A Summer Evening in the Garden – 6.30pm
📍 Belhaven Community Garden
FREE | No booking required

🍷📚 Taste Wine & Talk Books at Heart of Dunbar Festival – 8–9.30pm
📍 Wishing Tree by the Sea
£25 per person | 18+
Italian nibbles, three wines and a discussion of The Eight Mountains.
Booking: https://www.winewednesdaysnorthberwick.com/

📅 Thursday 20 August

🐠 Little Fishes – 9.30–11.30am
📍 Dunbar Parish Church Hall
£2 donation
For children up to age 4 with parents/carers. Numbers are restricted for health and safety reasons.
More info: www.dunbarparishchurch.org

🏑 Dunbar Club & Community Sports Hub – Come and Try – 6–8pm
📍 Hallhill
FREE | All ages | No booking required
Try hockey, rugby, golf, tennis, badminton and more.

📅 Friday 21 August

☕ Coffee Plus – 2–3.30pm
📍 Dunbar Parish Church Hall
FREE | Donations welcome | No booking required

🎵 Stellar Anderson Project – 6–8pm
📍 Station Yard, Station Road
FREE | No booking required

🏓 Beat the Robot – 7–9pm
📍 Bleachingfield Centre
FREE | All ages | No booking required

🍽️ Barbarella BEETS Big Community Dinner for Heart of Dunbar Festival Supper Club – 7pm
📍 Lauderdale Park
Five-course grazing meal with live music.
£40 adult | £17.50 child | Family (2 adults + 2 children) £110 | BYOB £2.50 per person
Tickets: https://www.skiddle.com/whats-on/Edinburgh/Lauderdale-Park-Dunbar/Barbarella-Beets-Supper-Club/42614149/

📅 Saturday 22 August

🎨 Dunbar Art Route – Eco Printing – 10am–12 noon
📍 Lauderdale Park
Printing with plants on watercolour paper.

🎨 Free Warhammer Painting Workshop – 10am–4pm
📍 Lynxhead Art, High Street
FREE | No booking required

✏️ Harbour Sketching – 10.30am
📍 Dunbar Harbour – meet at the propeller on Harbour Side
Drawing materials provided.

🎬 Heart of Dunbar Festival presents a Family Movie Event - Pix in the Stix – Encanto – 4–6pm
📍 Lauderdale Park
£3 per person | £10 family of 4
Bring your picnic blanket and enjoy Encanto.
Tickets: https://www.skiddle.com/e/42581856

🎶 CANCELLED 😢 DUE TO LOW TICKET SALES
SoundWaves – Cloud House

🎸 Mark McCluskey – 8–10pm
📍 Station Yard
Covers and a sprinkling of folk music.
No booking required

📅 Sunday 23 August

🪩 Heart of Dunbar Festival presents Big Bairns Little Bairns Mixtape – 11am–1pm
📍 Lauderdale Park
£6 children | £3 adults
Daytime disco packed with music for grown-ups and wee ones.
Tickets: https://www.skiddle.com/e/42487517

🛍️ August Dunbar Food & Craft Market – 11am–4pm
📍 Lauderdale Park
FREE | No booking required
Local food, makers, crafts and stalls with plenty of festival atmosphere.

🎶 Makers Market x SoundWaves – 1–4pm
📍 Lauderdale Park
FREE | No booking required
Local stallholders, food, crafts, family fun and live music.

💃 Heart of Dunbar Festival present Hoolie in the Park – 5–7pm
📍 Lauderdale Park
£5 per person
Bring your dancing shoes for the family ceilidh to close the festival!
Tickets: https://www.skiddle.com/e/42581841

🎤 Dunbar Gospel Singing – 6–7pm
📍 Dunbar Day Centre
FREE | No booking required

❤️ What a week for Dunbar!

From the parade and family fun to sport, art, food, markets, live music, dancing and community events, there really is something for everyone.

Save this post, share it with your pals and make sure you don’t miss your favourites!

12/08/2026