Archives

East Lothian Archive Service was set up in 2004 to look after records relating to East Lothian and its people.

The service is based at the Library and Museum Headquarters in Haddington. Plans are underway to build an archive repository and search room as part of the proposed John Gray Centre in Haddington.

Where to find East Lothian records

Most of the official records relating to East Lothian are held by the National Archives of Scotland in Edinburgh and will remain there until our new building is complete. They include local authority, county council and church records.

The Archive Service currently holds some burgh records for the towns of North Berwick, Haddington, Musselburgh and Dunbar, and a small number of records relating to local schools, organisations and people.

East Lothian records can also be found in other repositories, including the National Library of Scotland and the Lothian Health Services Archive.

Depositing records

While we are unable to accept records until the new repository is complete (except in an emergency situation), we would like to know about any records you would like to deposit.

Please contact us if you wish to deposit any records and we will be happy to visit you and offer advice. 

Local History Centre

Our Local History Centre also holds a wide range of material relating to local and family history, including:

• books
• photographs
• old parish records
• census information

Useful links

National Archives of Scotland

Scottish Archive Network - includes a catalogue describing the collections of more than 50 Scottish archives

Scottish Handwriting.com - a website providing tuition in palaeography (reading old handwriting)

Scotlandspeople - the official Scottish online source to genealogical information providing access to:

• census records
• old parish registers
• statutory registers of births, marriages and deaths
• wills and testaments

A2A - Access to Archives - contains catalogues describing archives held throughout England

Archives Hub - a catalogue of archive collections held in universities across the UK

National Register of Archives - a searchable index of archive collections held throughout the UK

National Archives - records of the UK Government (formerly the Public Record Office)

Neighbouring local authority archive websites

Edinburgh City archives

Midlothian Council archives

Scottish Borders archives