What's on at The Brunton in October
Midweek movies
Enjoy midweek movies and screenings of the best in West End theatre in Loretto this October alongside The Brunton’s Film Fridays at the Corn Exchange in Haddington.
In Haddington this October
Bring your Halloween spirit and don your most creative costume for a show bursting with magic and merriment at The Corn Exchange in Haddington this October. Celebrate the season with fun that’s enchanting for kids and entertaining for adults – nothing too spooky, we promise!
Also in Haddington this October, Stuntman is a new performance for anyone who has ever enjoyed a violent action movie (but felt a bit weird about it). It is an intensely physical, funny and tender duet by two men who wrestle with their relationship to violence. This is not one to be missed.
Experience Chris O’Connell as he brings all the charisma and style of the man who fronted Genesis and sold over 150 million albums world-wide in his magnificent solo career. A high energy show packed full of hits including, In the Air Tonight, Day in Paradise and Sussudio. This is the definitive Phil Collins tribute show!
Scotland’s original folk supergroup will be wowing audiences in Haddington late October. Now in their 21st year, Session A9 have earned their reputation as one of the best live bands in the country. Previous winners of Best Live Act at The Scottish Traditional Music Awards, we can guarantee that this will certainly be a night to remember.
Finally, in Haddington, get ready to shake a tail feather as the UK’s supreme Tina Turner – Justine Riddoch and her talented cast dance and sing their way on to the Corn Exchange stage. This breath-taking recreation of a live Tina Turner concert celebrates the Queen of Rock’n’roll’s incredible songbook.
What's on in our museums
Winter season museum opportunities
Explore historic records and online exhibitions at www.johngraycentre.org or pop in for a visit to discover the history of East Lothian in 1000 objects in this innovative, interactive museum at John Gray Centre in Haddington. Uncover how ordinary and extraordinary people earned their living and spent their time from the Stone Age to the present day. Temporary exhibition about local D Day veteran, fisherman, husband, father and great dancer Charlie Horn!
Visit John Muir’s Birthplace and discover how a boy born in Dunbar became one of the driving forces behind the global conservation movement. His life and work continue to inspire people all over the world. Today his legacy helps connect with wellbeing, sustainability and communities. New temporary exhibition explores and celebrates the remaining woodlands found in East Lothian with their pockets of old oak trees. www.jmbt.org.uk
Explore the woods and grounds of Prestongrange Museum using the mobile phone tour as a guide through 400 years of local industry. The harbour, glass works, pottery, colliery and brickworks have all left their marks on the landscape including winding gear, a vast brick kiln and a Cornish beam engine. www.eastlothian.gov.uk/prestongrange
Take a tour of Dunbar Town House Museum and Gallery with Dunbar and District History Society. The Town House has been the focus of town life since the 16th century and is home to a local history display and the temporary exhibition about shopfronts. www.eastlothian.gov.uk/dunbar-town-house
Discover land, sea and peoples stories at the Coastal Communities Museum in North Berwick during October. Travel through time and discover more about the history and pre-history of this captivating coastline and associated hinterland. www.coastalmuseum.org
Exhibitions
'Duir' oak : door
This exhibition explores and celebrates the remaining woodlands found in East Lothian with their pockets of old oak trees. As artists we are working to highlight our dependence and necessary engagement with our environment and woodland through foraging, creating, learning and being amongst woodland for its healing aspects, mindfulness and creative work.
The title of our exhibition is Duir which is an old Celtic word for oak and where the word for door derives. Oak supports more wildlife than any other tree species. This highlights the biodiversity value associated with them. They are also long-lived making them significant carbon stores. Woodlands are an essential part of our community and our exhibition highlights the necessity of preservation and regeneration.
The three artists contributing to this are Karin Chipulina, Stella Robertson and Anna Davis. Karin Chipulina’s work includes eco printed cloth, dyed with local leaves from the woods using oak gall mordants, natural fibres, prints using local woodland, foraged materials and cloth sewn, dyed and worked on with plant fibre.
A quote by John Muir
‘Between every two pine trees there is a door, leading to a new way of life’
Saturday 4 October to Sunday 30 November.
Wednesday to Saturday 10am to 5pm and Sunday 1pm to 5pm. Free admission
John Muir’s Birthplace, High Street, Dunbar, EH42 1JJ.
Scottish shopfronts and Dunbar shops exhibition
Dunbar Town House and Museum and Gallery (Wednesday to Sunday 1pm to 5pm every week)
Come and view the fantastic exhibition on the development of Scottish shopfronts by Lindsay Lennie. There will also be a history of Dunbar High Street shops theme, and we will be encouraging you to bring in stories and information about some of the old High Street shops.
We will also run a series of walks and talks, and activities every Wednesday afternoon during the exhibition. Check out the noticeboard in the Town House window for updates about what’s on.
Saturday 2-4pm courtesy of Dunbar and District History Society. Free admission.
Dunbar Town House Museum and Gallery, High Street, Dunbar, EH42 1ER.
Golden Days: The life of Charlie Horne
Charlie Horne is a local D-Day veteran, fisherman, husband, father and a great dancer!
Using images and material from Charlies own extensive collection, Golden Days looks back over his life. Featuring audio recordings from Charlie, a diary he kept during D-Day, film footage, family letters and images, Golden Days tells the story of a fascinating life well-lived.
30 August through until December. Free admission.
John Gray Centre (Museum) 15 Lodge Street, Haddington, EH41 3DX.
johngraycentre.org
Events
Dunbar Art Route
Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 October
Explore incredible art in Dunbar, Belhaven and West Barns.
- meet the artists
- see behind the scenes
- discover hidden gems
- take part in workshops
Dunbar Town House Museum and Gallery will be hosting nine of the artists 10am to 4pm both days.
www.dunbarartroute.co.uk
@dunbarartroute
Hope, healing and creativity in wild times.
For anyone feeling overwhelmed, a free talk/ discussion.
Stella shares the creative process behind her work (DUIR, oak:door) on loss as a portal to transformation. This interactive talk/ Q & A, explores the importance of creativity and imagination in difficult times. personal and environmental, discusses why slowing down enough to listen to the land can be a radical act of healing and a slow burning activism, and reveals how both can help build the capacity to help us through these wild times.
This session includes some short grounding exercises (visualisation/ breathing)
Saturday 25 October, 2pm to 3pm
Saturday 22 November, 2pm to 3pm
John Muir’s Birthplace, High Street, Dunbar, EH42 1JJ.
Book with QR code at eventbrite or message via instagram @dunbarartroute
Workshop Printing with Karin Chipulina
Part of the Duir exhibition
My work includes eco printed cloth, dyed with local leaves from the woods using oak gall mordants, natural fibres, prints using local woodland foraged materials and cloth sewn, dyed and worked on with plant fibre. Within a woodland we can access free materials to use in art forms, we can learn from working in that space of inspiration and use materials consciously to give a voice through our art.
Drop in workshop Saturday 18 October Time TBC
John Muir’s Birthplace, High Street, Dunbar, EH42 1JJ.
East Lothian Council Museums
15 Lodge Street, Haddington, EH41 3DX.
Thursday and Friday 10am to 1pm and 2pm to 5pm
Saturday 10am to 1pm and 2pm to 4pm
126 High Street, Dunbar, EH42 1JJ.
Wednesday to Saturday 10am to 5pm
Sunday 1pm to 5pm
High Street, Dunbar, EH42 1ER.
Wednesday to Sunday 1pm to 5pm
(from Wednesday 2 April to Sunday 28 September)
Morrison’s Haven, Prestonpans, EH32 9RX.
Wednesday to Sunday 11am to 4.30pm
(from Wednesday 2 April to Sunday 28 September)
School Road, North Berwick, EH39 4JU.
Wednesday to Saturday 11am to 4pm
(from Wednesday 9 April to Saturday 25 October)
65 High St, Musselburgh, EH21 7BZ.
Thursday to Saturday 10.30am to 4pm
(from Thursday 3 April to Saturday 27 September)
Historic Scotland - Historic Sundays
Historic Sundays is a new seasonal initiative which offers Scottish residents free admission to Historic Scotland properties on the first Sunday of each month, from October 2025 to March 2026.
The campaign aims to break down barriers to visiting, particularly for first-time visitors, lower-income households, and underrepresented groups. By removing admission charges on these special Sundays, Historic Scotland hopes to increase engagement with the historic environment, promote wellbeing, and offer memorable, affordable experiences throughout the winter months. If you or your team are working with someone who might benefit from this offer, let them know about it. Or visit yourself!
Book tickets here
Historic Sundays is bookable online only, and tickets must be booked in advance. Proof of address may be required on arrival.
If you don’t get tickets the first time of applying, more will be available next month. Keep an eye on the Historic Sundays webpage for participating sites and to book your Historic Sundays tickets.
January's Historic Sunday will be on Sunday 11 January 2026 rather than the first Sunday of the month which falls during the festive period.
October is East Lothian Business Month
This October, East Lothian businesses can benefit from a whole month of events designed to forge connections and inspire and support the local business community. 
East Lothian Business Month features a full programme of online and in-person events and educational bite-size courses from social media and search engine tips and tricks to applying for funding and tenders – culminating in a ‘drop in and connect’ event.
The events are all free to attend and have been organised by our economic development team. We are also promoting events organised by our strategic partners including Midlothian and East Lothian Chamber of Commerce and the Supplier Development Scotland Programme.
There are networking events to build valuable connections, training workshops to build skills and confidence and webinars offering expert insights and practical advice. The team will also be using the month to showcase local success stories, highlight new businesses and promote the range of support available to help businesses grow and thrive in East Lothian.
Business Month will conclude with the 'Drop-in and Connect' (formerly Meet the Council) event at the Marine Hotel, North Berwick on Thursday 30 October, where businesses can connect directly with council departments and strategic partners. This is a unique opportunity to gain first-hand information, explore available resources, and expand professional networks.
For more information and to view the full calendar of events, visit the Invest East Lothian website.
Black History Month
October is National Black History Month, a month dedicated to sharing, celebrating and understanding the positive impact of black heritage and culture. Initially brought about in the US, Black History Month has been celebrated annually in the UK since 1987.
This year’s theme, ‘Standing Firm in Power and Pride’, highlights past contributions of Black people in shaping history and ‘looks toward a future of continued empowerment, unity and growth’.
Respecting our diverse backgrounds
Our council is dedicated to respecting the diverse backgrounds which make up our organisation – this respect is part of the East Lothian Way. We can demonstrate this respect by marking events such as Black History Month and using them as opportunities to celebrate different cultures and upskill ourselves in areas we know less about. In this way, our workplace continues to be a place where everyone can be themselves at work and feel that they belong.
This month, we invite you to celebrate Black History Month in your own way. You could take some time to renew or build your knowledge around Scottish Black History or prominent figures in British Black history. We are also pleased to have new internal learning resources under development, including on the theme of ‘Allyship’, which will be available soon. In the meantime, you can access a list of books, films, podcasts and talks on the theme of anti-racism here.
Having a diverse workforce helps us provide a great service to East Lothian citizens and are part of what makes our organisation a great place to work - we want to celebrate that, not just this month, but all year round.
Fostering an inclusive and respectful workplace
We’re proud to foster an inclusive and respectful workplace for everyone. If you ever witness or experience racism or any form of discrimination, please don’t hesitate to speak with your line manager, or, if necessary, another appropriate manager. You can also seek support from a HR Adviser, Trade Union Representative, or an Employee Support Officer. Our council will address concerns with care and seriousness, in line with our Prevention of Bullying and Harassment Policy.
Human Resources
Lunchtime meditation and mindfulness sessions
Our series of free meditation and mindfulness sessions is continuing through Autumn.
The lunchtime meditation sessions are led by Jill Alexander from Heartfulness and the mindfulness sessions by Joyce Lukkes. Free to attend in John Muir House, colleagues can enjoy a guided meditation session designed to reduce stress and increase wellbeing.
No booking is required - just turn up on the date and time and join in!
Please email Kate McCracken in Children's Services if you have any questions.
Please note the planned session for 16 October has been cancelled
| Session |
Date |
Time |
Location |
|
Meditation
|
Wednesday 5 November
|
1pm
|
JMH Saltire room 1
|
|
Meditation
|
Thursday 20 November
|
12.30pm
|
JMH Saltire room 1
|
|
Meditation
|
Wednesday 3 December
|
1pm
|
JMH Saltire room 1
|
|
Mindfulness
|
Wednesday 10 December
|
12.30pm
|
JMH Saltire room 1
|
|
Meditation
|
Thursday 18 December
|
12.30pm
|
JMH Saltire room 1
|