Home Report Ormiston

Ormiston, East Lothian, is a small, quiet but desirable town with a population of about 2,100 residents. It is roughly 14 miles from Edinburgh, about 7 miles from Musselburgh, 3 miles from Tranent, and just over 2.5 miles from Pencaitland. It was initially a planned village, but the project was an economic failure. In the 20th century mining resulted in the development of the settlement leading to Ormiston as we know it today. Like most towns in this region of East Lothian it is now a residential area with commuters travelling to Edinburgh for work, surrounded by agriculture and with some local services.

Ormiston today as mentioned is commuter town for people mainly working in the city of Edinburgh, Musselburgh, Tranent, Haddington, and other settlements in East Lothian. The only real means of transport is by road, as the town has no railway line, and a short journey along the B6371 and A6093 roads, is required for residents to reach the although the A68, and A1 trunk roads respectively. These offer onward travel by car to the city of Edinburgh, East, and West Lothian, as well as further south to the Borders. The nearest railway station would be in Prestonpans, on the North Berwick line.

As for amenities and things to do, Ormiston has what you would expect of a quiet town of its size, with some local shops, post office, and food outlets. Residents typically nip in the car to Tranent for a wider array of amenities such as supermarkets, coffee shops, restaurants and more. Rather uniquely, Ormiston is known to those interested in such things as having a very rare example of a layering yew-tree and, according to the Forestry Commission, is up to one thousand years old.

In terms of local schooling, the town is served by a single primary school: Ormiston Primary. When of secondary age, pupils would attend Ross High School in Tranent.