Tranent Attractions

East Lothian

Tranent is a small town in East Lothian and is one of the oldest towns in East Lothian. In 1722 the first rail line (Tranent to Cockenzie Waggonway) took coal from the coal pits of Tranent to the harbour at Cockenzie. It was drawn by horses on a wooden track, the first in Scotland. Once an important coal mining town, mined by the monks of Newbattle in the 12th century. The town must have been settled prior to 1150 as the old parish church dates from 1145.

Massacre of Tranent

Statue

Tranent East Lothian

The Massacre of Tranent took place in 1797, when 12 local people were killed by soldiers after group of locals were protesting against conscription into the British Army. Jackie Crookston holding the drum on the memorial to those who died. The Statue stands in Civic Square on the High Street in Tranent.

Tranent Massacre Memorial Tranent East L

Tranent Tower

Tranent East Lothian

Tranent Tower was built circa 1542 on the Seton estate where the Valance family lived leasing the tower from Lord Seton before they later purchased it and where the family remained until the nineteenth century.

The family grave can be sen in the old Tranent parish church burial ground.

Vallance Family Grave Old Tranent Parish

Setoun Do'cot
There is a lectern-type do’cot 1587 near Tranent old parish church, which was constructed to house 1122 pairs of pigeons in nesting boxes. A do’cot was where people would get fresh meat. Taking the young pigeons as they were the most tender. Inscribed above the door of the Do’cot reads; DAVID SETOUN, 1587. Cockenzie House was built for David (Setoun) Seton circa 1600. David (Setoun) Seton was known for his involvement in the trials of witches at Tranent.

Tranent Do'cot steps Access to Do'cot Ea

Parish Church & Graveyard

Tranent East Lothian

A chapel is said to have been founded here by monks in the 8th century. Tranent Parish Church dates from 1145. The present church was built 1799 and opened in 1800 and was modernisation again 1954. John Caddell was blamed for his part in the Tranent Massacre (object to the conscription of Scots into the British Militia) of 1797 and is buried in Old Tranent Parish Church. The first vicar of Tranent whose name is recorded as John in 1222.

Tranent Parish Church Graves

The Table stone memorial grave of Captain George Hutchison R.N is prominent as related to the Seton family.

Captain George Hutchison, R.N. was uncle to the Misses Hutchison, living at Seton Lodge, Tranent, in 1889.

Captain William Hutchison, who was Governor of Cape Coast Castle in Africa, and died when at home in Tranent

on a visit in 1832. The most famous slave “castle,” the Cape Coast Castle, Built in 1653

circa 10 million slaves were transported from here to the new World.

George Hutchison Grave Old Tranent Paris

Tranent Parish Church Graves

The Headstone depicts a Jacobite soldier buried here after the Battle of Prestonpans 1745.

Jacobite Grave Grave Stone Old Tranent P

Tranent East Lothian

George Seton Grave

Memorial to George Seton, of the family of St. Germains, Bailie of Tranent:
Bailie George Seton, Farmer at Seton,
Died the 10th day of May 1760, aged 82.

You err, O reader, if you should expect
Big swelling words, immodesty, respect
How short man's life, 'las, while we live we
To know man's life, keep death still in your eye. —

To the memory
Of Catherine Turnbull, relict of George Seton, Farmer in Seton, who died Oct. 5th, 1766, Aged 73 years.

Tranent East Lothian

Town Clock

In the civic square of Tranent next to the Massacre of Tranent memorial statue stand the towns time piece

Tranent East Lothian

War Memorial

The Tranent war memorial commemorates the people of Tranent who were killed or did not return (missing)

in the two World Wars.

Tranent Primitive Methodist Church

The Primitive Methodist Church was built in 1870. This group was of the working class all looking for social justice and self-worth. The preacher's travelled around the countryside and were also known as ‘Ranters’, for their enthusiastic preaching.

The first preachers in Scotland, stood at the the site of the Grassmarket gallows in April 1826 and gave their first sermon.

East Lothian Primitive Methodists came and went with the mining accept for Cockenzie built in 1878 by the fisher folk who raised capital to build their chapel, which is still open for worship today.