Dunbar Travel Guide

Just to the west of Dunbar lies Belhaven Bay which forms part of the John Muir Country Park, named after Dunbar's most famous son. Born in Dunbar in 1838, John Muir's family emigrated to the USA in 1846 where he went on to found the US National Park system.

The Victoria Harbour is one of two harbours in Dunbar. Unfortunately the building of it wreaked destruction to a large part of what had remained of the castle. A section of it had to be blasted away to make what is now the harbour entrance.

Built around 1593, the Town Council had their chambers on the top floor of the building, while the police office was on the ground floor. Until 1860, there were two small cells on the first floor; one kept for debtors and the other for all manner of criminals, thieves or witches. Between 1911 and 1913 the white lime harling was removed exposing the stone beneath. The building became redundant with local government reorganisation and the last meeting of the Town Council took place in April 1975
The museum opened in 1994 and is run by East Lothian Council. Its displays concentrate on local history, including photographs of old Dunbar and the surrounding area, and local archaeology. A statue of the young John Muir (1838 - 1914) has been erected on the street in front of the building and remnants of the old Mercat Cross of Dunbar have been transplanted outside.

Overlooking the harbour of Dunbar are the remains of what was once one of the finest castles in Scotland.
Alas part of the remains fell into the sea in 1993 and now what is left is no longer accessible to the public.
The first stone castle was probably constructed by the Earl of Dunbar in the 1070s.
The present ruins date back to the 15thC.