SRP Archaeology Notes

Date 23 November 2009

Event ID 580618

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Srp Note

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/580618

Scotland's Rural Past (SRP)

Cottyburn is the site of a former settlement that latterly comprised two substantial stone buildings, which are now roofles ruins and heavily overgrown. Cottyburn is located 2 miles SW of Longniddry within the NW quadrant of the intersection of the present day B6363 and the former North British Railway line, flanked by the Coatie Burn along its E side.

The surviving buildings are juxtaposed at right angles with the principal building being aligned NS. Both buildings show evidence of structural modification and there is a clear difference between the representation and arrangement of the buildings depicted on the OS 1st edition map of 1852 compared to that of the 2nd edition of 1892. The principal building is likely the oldest original building on the site and contained ground, first and loft floor levels between steeply pitched gables that stand almost to their full height,excluding chimney stacks. Fireplaces exist at ground and first floor levels.

The other building forms a long, single storey range forming two compartments linked by an internal doorway. The larger compartment has a fireplace at each end and four window openings can be seen in the N wall where it is more upstanding. External doorways exist in both N and S walls.

No other features were identified outside of the area occupied by the buildings due to the amount of overgrowth across the site.

The New Statistical Account of 1834-45 mentions a school, schoolmasters house and a smithy at Cottyburn. However, Census records imply that the settlement, perhaps already in a state of decay, was abandoned some time after 1910 although parts of it were used as agricultural stores until at least the middle part of the 20th century.

Information from East Lothian U3A