Musselburgh

Musselburgh, an old-fashioned town of Midlothian, near the mouth of the Esk in the Firth of Forth, 6 miles E. of Edinburgh by a branch-line (1847). Since 1832 it has united with Leith and Portobello to return one member, the parliamentary burgh including the large fishing-suburb of Fisherow, with a small tidal harbour, and the pretty village of Inveresk, whose conspicuous spired church was rebuilt in 1805 by 'Jupiter' Carlyle, and occupies a Roman prætorium. Musselburgh's chief features are its celebrated golf-links (since 1817 also the Edinburgh racecourse), Loretto school (marking the site of a famed place of pilgrimage), Pinkie House (1613), the 'Roman' bridge, the quaint tolbooth, and a statue (1853) of David Moir. The manufactures include paper, nets, leather, &c. Pop. (1841) 6366; (1891) 8888. See Paterson's History of Musselburgh (1857).