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Dunbar Town
East Lothian Coast
Dunbar Town
East Lothian Coast
Dunbar is one of six towns in East Lothian and was part of Northumbria until 1018. Dunbar became a royal burgh in 1369. It has three harbours and is a fishing village with a long history going back to circa 850 AD. The Town grew around the Castle which was of strategic importance over the centuries. The Castle was destroyed in 1568 as many castles and important buildings were by the English led by Cromwell. The Town has a famous son who became the founder of the national parks in America and the John Muir Way is a route from Dunbar to Helensburgh of circa 134 miles which was the route taken by John Muir on his way to the ship that would take him to the new world.
Dunbar Castle
Dunbar
East Lothian Coast
Dunbar Castle, the First timber fort was occupied by the Votanidi tribe, a tribe that controlled the east of Scotland and England between the River Forth and Humber during the roman invasions. Then came Kenneth MacAlpin King of Pics and First King of Scots who owned the castle in 849 AD. Circa 1070 it was in the hands of the Earl of Cumbria. It was not until 1018 that Dunbar was in Scotland as the border was moved to the present position at that time.
By circa 1200 it had become a substantial fortification and when King John attempted to take the castle in 1214 but failed.
The castle was lost to the English army of Edward I in 1296. The next 200 plus years saw the castle change hands between the Scots and English on several occasions and in this time it was almost destroyed. In 1567 following the Battle of Carberry Hill, the castle was destroyed by an Act of Parliament, and has been a ruin ever since.
Dunbar Battery
Dunbar
East Lothian Coast
The battery was built to protect the entrance of the forth and Dunbar against attack from ships. Dunbar had been attacked on two occasions during the American War of Independence 1779 and 1781 so the battery was built. In 1914 became a hospital for wounded soldiers of the 1st World War. The roof was blown off in a storm in 1936 and demolished in 1937. Iit was renovated in 2016-17 and reopened in 2017.
The Timeline Path
Dunbar Battery
Dunbar
East Lothian Coast
1781 The Battery is built to protect Dunbar against American Raiders. 1815 The military outpost is abandoned at the end of the wars with France. 1822 Gunfire from the Battery welcomes King George IV to Scotland. 1874 Am isolation hospital for infectious diseases is built within the walls. 1927 the hospital is converted into emergency housing.
1937 The hospital building is demolished after a storm and fire. 2017 the Battery reopens as a place for everyone to enjoy. The Door to Dunbar. For centuries the sea was the main way in and out of Dunbar.
Inside of the Battery
Sea Cubes by Donald Urquhart
Rock Formations
View of the “Long Steeple” left Next “Round Steeple”
and the small group of three are “The Yetts” from the Battery.
Robert Wilson
Inventor of the Spiral Propeller 1827
Dunbar
East Lothian Coast
Robert Wilson was born in September 1803. As a boy he developed a method to propel boats through water at speed. His idea came from windmill blades, at nine years old he had propelled a boat with rotary skulls.
By the age of 24 he had boats being propelled on the River Forth. The Earl of Lauderdale seeing what he had achieved took his invention to the Admiralty, who showed no interest.
Robert Wilson was never recognised in his lifetime for his invention.
Pettit Smith and Ericsson are often credited but everyone knows the truth.
John Muir Way Dunbar East Lothian
The John Muir Way is a path stretching from coast to coast across Scotland. The route traces his steps from Dunbar on the east coast to Helensburgh on the west coast. Where he embarked on his journey to the new land (America). Follow his route from Edinburgh to Dunbar on the shores of the Firth of Forth ( Edinburgh to Prestonpans 16 km (10 miles) Prestonpans to North Berwick 25 km (16 miles) North Berwick to Dunbar 23 km (15 miles).
John Muir Statue High Street Dunbar East Lothian
John Muir was born on the 21 April 1838 in Dunbar, East Lothian, Scotland and died on the 24 December 1914 at the age of 76 in Los Angeles, California, U.S.A. He became the Father of American national parks and champion of world conservation and was forever a Scot. John Muir was naturalist, environmental philosopher and author. John Muir immigrated with his mother and father and brothers and sisters in 1849 at the age of 11 years. He went on to be a national icon and was named the "patron saint of the American wilderness".
John Muir Plaque Dunbar East Lothian
The plaque on the statue of John Muir as a boy that stands in Dunbar High Street is inscribed; John Muir (1838-1914)
“Around my native town of Dunbar, I loved to wander in the fields, to hear the birds sing and along the seashore to gaze and wonder at the shells and seaweeds, eels and crabs in the pools amongst the rocks when the tide was low; and best of all to watch the waves in awful storms thundering on the black headlands and craggy ruins of the Old Dunbar Castle when the sea and the sky, the waves and the clouds, were mingled together as one”.
John Muir Brown Bear
The has been erected in memory of John Muir who was born in Dunbar. Andy Scott the sculptor who came to recognition with the world famous Kelpies Sculptures has created another masterpiece. It stands off the A1 road, take the exit to Asda at the Spott Roundabout Dunbar and the first opening on the left at the garden centre it is 200 yards along a path. The Bear that I have called Dyn after an old spelling of Dunbar (Dynbaer) Dyn Greek meaning power or force. The 5 metre high bear is a powerful sculpture to a great man John Muir.
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A Tribute to John Muir Dunbar East Lothian.
The plaque on the base of the gigantic Brown Bear reads; This plaque was unveiled by Mrs Brenda McNeil to commemorate the completion of this Brown Bear sculpture, paying tribute to Dunbar-born naturalist John Muir (1838-1914) who plated a key role in the establishment of National Parks in the U.S.A and around the world. Commissioned by Hallhill Developments Ltd Sculptor: Andy Scott 19th November 2019
John Muir Birthplace Museum.
John Muir was born in Dunbar East Lothian in 1838 and spent most of his childhood exploring the coastline of East Lothian before the Muir family immigrated to USA (Wisconsin) in 1849. He continued exploring and in 1867 walked circa 1000 miles across America to the Gulf of Mexico. In 1894 he published his first book ‘The Mountains of California’. In his life he travelled in every continent on the planet returning to Scotland on several occasions. He was the founder of National Parks in the U.S. and died at the age of 76 years always remembering his routes a true Scot to the end.
