Prestonpans Heritage in Pictures: Here are 24 fascinating photos of the East Lothian town in the 1950s and 1960s

The town has changed significantly since these pictures were take over 56 years ago.

Legend has is that Prestonpans was founded in the 11th century by the survivors of a shipwreck who decided to set up a community when it became clear they’d not be able to get home.

In fact, it seems likely that the truth is more prosaic – with the original settlement of Althamer, meaning ‘old house’, likely to predate the apocryphal tale by a century when the monks of Newbattle and Holyrood arrived in the district.

The monks renamed the town Prieststown which would eventually evolve into Prestonpans due to the salt panning industry that became so important to the area.

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At the start of the 15th century there were no less than 10 salt works in the town, whose growth was also aided by coal mining, fishing, soap production, potteries and a brickworks.

And at one point there were 16 breweries in Prestonpans – all of which are now closed.

The town (or rather a site just outside the town) is also well known for being the location of the Battle of Prestonpans on September 21, 1745, which was the first major conflict in the second Jacobite Rising and saw the Jacobites loyal to James Francis Edward Stuart defeated the army loyal to the Hanoverian George II.

The modern town centre still contains a number of important historic buildings, including Preston Tower and the Mercat Cross, while it’s been named ‘Scotland's Mural Town’ due to its collection of colourful public artworks depicting local history.

Here are 24 pictures to take you back to the Prestonpans of the 1950s and 1960s.

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