the lothians
day trips & tours from edinburgh
The Lothians are one of Scotlands most popular tourist regions with many interesting and unique places to visit all within a short driving distance from the capital city of Edinburgh. Most places can be reached in under 50 minutes by car.
Lothian forms a traditional region of Scotland, lying between the southern shore of the Firth of Forth and the Lammermuir Hills.
Historically, the term Lothian is used for a province encompassing the present area plus the Scottish Borders region. The name is related to the legendary British King Loth or Lot. In the 7th century it became the northern part of the Saxon Kingdom of Northumbria.
Subsequent Scottish history saw Lothian subdivided into the shires of West Lothian, Midlothian and East Lothian — leading to the phrase “the Lothians”.
East Lothian
East Lothian is the perfect place to unwind and explore all of central and southern Scotland. Close to the city of Edinburgh yet within easy reach of over 40 miles of coastline including award-winning. East Lothian boasts numerous art galleries, museums, gift shops, castles, churches and country houses.
Also located within the region are a selection of the famous links golf courses.
Midlothian
Lying less than ten miles south of Edinburgh city centre, Midlothian offers a blend of beautiful countryside and a wealth of historic attractions. Lively towns and villages will appeal to all and there are numerous activity centres with superb facilities for outdoor pursuit enthusiasts.
Midlothian is also recognised for being the home of Rosslyn Chapel, a medieval stone building situated in the Pentland Hills which featured in Dan Brown’s blockbuster book - The Da Vinci Code.
West Lothian
Situated between Glasgow and Edinburgh, West Lothian is an area steeped in history and heritage yet benefits from easy access to the motorway network making it an ideal base for touring Edinburgh, Glasgow, Stirling and the local region.










