Traprain Law
How to get there
By bicycle
This is located between Haddington and East Linton, just off the NCN 76 on a parallel road.
By car
From Haddington, take the road heading E out of the town which crosses the Rivere Tyne. Stay on this road for 5 miles and you will arrive at the N side of Traprain Law. From East Linton, take the turning off the A199 that goes under the A1. At the junction turn right and wind your way uphill, past a couple of farms. The road then descends to a turning on the right hand side, which is sign posted Traprain Law.
Parking charges
Parking charges may apply.
By bus
No bus services to this site
Facilities
- the Countryside Ranger Service co-ordinates the day-to-day management of this site
- no facilities on site
Description
Traprain Law is a distinct upstanding feature in East Lothian's landscape. It is a volcanic feature, known as a laccolith, which has been subsequently shaped by the forces of ice (and man if you include the quarry on its N face), to give it the distinctive profile it has today. The main path on the N side is steep but provides steady access to the broad flat summit. From here you get fantastic views across the county and to the N on a clear day, the Grampian mountains can be seen.
Natural history
Traprain is a significant area of natural grassland amidst an industrialised agricultural landscape. In consequence it contains specimens of wild flowers that would have once been more widespread across the area, but are no longer widespread today.
The Law is also an important geological feature, the upstanding basalt having been exposed into its current form during the last ice age, when softer sediments around it would have been eroded away.
The shape of the hill provided our ancestors with a significant vantage point and it is little wonder that the hill was settled during the Bronze and Iron Ages, being the central point for the local Votadini tribe.