What's on in Museums: September 2026
All our museums are FREE to visit and open for the summer season through until the end of September. We have some fantastic exhibitions and annual events to look forward to. Look out for our autumn exhibitions and events in the next edition.
Exhibitions
LAST CHANCE TO SEE landmark exhibition at John Gray Centre: ends 19 September
John Bellany HRSA
Acrylic on canvas, Cockenzie Harbour by John Bellany
Internationally renowned artist John Bellany HRSA, born in Port Seton, painted large scale, distinctive and often deeply personal works exploring themes including East Lothian’s fishing communities.
Curated by John’s wife Helen Bellany, and his lifelong friend Alexander Moffat RSA. The exhibition combines works on loan from the Royal Scottish Academy with private collections and works held by East Lothian Council. It includes large and rarely seen work.
This exhibition is part of the RSA200: Celebrating Together partnership project. Throughout 2026 the Royal Scottish Academy, the oldest artist-run institution in Scotland, is celebrating its 200th birthday.
Open until Saturday 19 September.
Open Thursday and Friday from 10am to 1pm and 2pm to 5pm and Saturday from 10am to 1pm and 1.30pm to 4pm. Free admission.
John Gray Centre - Museum, 15 Lodge Street, Haddington, EH41 3DX.
Making Waves
A retrospective by Dunbar resident sculptor, painter and printmaker Lesley May Miller.
Making waves, one way or another, since 1934.
Visit before Wednesday 30 September.
Open Wednesday to Sunday 1pm to 5pm. Free admission.
Dunbar Town House Museum & Gallery, High Street, Dunbar EH42 1ER
FLOW
From research to restoration. Art and artefacts by makers and crafters from East Lothian including plant based photography, printing and the Japanese art of dorodango. Connecting communities and landscape through creativity.
Part of Sustaining Dunbar rivers project with support from North Light Arts.
Open until Sunday 27 September.
Wednesday to Saturday 10am to 5pm and Sunday 1pm to 5pm.
John Muir’s Birthplace, High Street, Dunbar, EH42 1JJ.
Free admission
Place-names of East Lothian: A journey through time
East Linton: this settlement was recorded as Lintun in 1127, which means 'farm by the torrent', from Old English tūn 'substantial farm' and hlynn 'torrent'. The hlynn is the waterfall which tumbles over what are now called the Linn Rocks. By about 1840 the village had become known as East Linton, to distinguish it from Linton in Peeblesshire, now known as West Linton.
Dunbar? Lamer Street? Friarscroft?
What does it mean?
Where did the name come from?
Dunbar & District History Society’s latest exhibition is based on the online publication, ‘Place-names of East Lothian: A journey through time’, researched by History Society member Liz Curtis. The exhibition presents a selection of names and their meaning from North Berwick to Dunglass and is supported by artefacts and historical images.
As Liz explains: "Over thousands of years, a succession of different peoples arrived in East Lothian, mostly seeking the excellent agricultural land. They spoke different languages – Brittonic, Old English, Old Norse (Scandinavian), Gaelic, and Norman French. Then Scots developed locally, based on Old English. Each group named the land in their own way. They adopted the place-names of their predecessors or adapted them or created new names. As a result, East Lothian has a wonderfully varied collection of place-names, which illuminate our history."
The full version of the online publication can be found on the Scottish Place-Name Society’s website, https://spns.org.uk
Courtesy of Dunbar & District History Society for July 2026 to June 2027.
September: open Wednesday to Sunday 1pm to 5pm.
October to March: open Saturday 2pm to 4pm
Free admission.
Dunbar Town House Museum & Gallery, High Street, Dunbar EH42 1ER
Haven
Pop into Prestongrange to see an inspiring display of jewellery by designer/maker, Eleanor Symms, who uses reclaimed materials to create her work. In the summer of 2024 Eleanor worked on a project at Morrisons Haven where she gathered waste and organic materials. Her aim is to learn more about ways to use and combine organic and other waste materials and explore how to make wearable, ornamental pieces, prototypes that could be disassembled, reassembled or returned to nature.
Prestongrange Museum, Morrison’s Haven, Prestonpans, EH32 9RX.
Open Wednesday to Sunday 11am to 4.30pm through until the end of September
Coastal Communities Museum
George Mitchell and his Combine, Archerfield, Dirleton, 1962 © East Lothian Council Archives
Come and visit our fascinating local museum located in the seaside town of North Berwick. We’re run entirely by enthusiastic volunteers and our aim is to enable locals and visitors to explore the culture and heritage of the coastal communities that make up East Lothian’s North Berwick coastal ward.
Agricultural life is an important part of the Coastal Ward in East Lothian and we are showcasing a new display of farm implements from the past including seed broadcasters, sheep shears, a hand plough and even a ‘foster mother.’ Come along and find out more about this curiously named device! These tools offer a fascinating glimpse into the working lives and rural traditions that helped shape our local community.
This year’s Collectors’ Corner will showcase a charming and unusual collection of old button hooks. Among them are several examples of ‘trench art’ —objects transformed with creativity and care, each with its own story to tell.
In the Children’s Area, our much-loved (and very well-worn!) pirate costumes have been topped up, ready for another season of imaginative adventures on Treasure Island. We’ve also restocked the ever-popular colouring postcards. After running low at the end of last season we’re pleased to say that crabs, puffins, and stags are once again back on the shelves. Our popular rope tying display is back for another year – master the art of nautical knots and discover the difference between a Bowline and a Sheet Bend.
Wednesday to Saturday 11am to 4pm. Free admission.
Coastal Communities Museum School Road, North Berwick, EH39 4JU.
Echoes of Musselburgh
‘A wee peek back’. Come and reminisce with us through the last half of the 20th century.
Do you remember Musselburgh in the 1950s through to the 90s??
August and September: Thursday to Saturday 10.30am to 4pm. Admission FREE.
Musselburgh Museum, 65 High St, Musselburgh EH21 7BZ.
Events and activities
Family drop in activities
Our museums all have free admission and have drop-in craft activities for families.
Wee Wednesdays
Wednesday mornings at Prestongrange Museum, 10am to 10.30am, Bookbug for 0 to 5s and their parents/carers, no charge. Followed by craft activity, £1 per child.
Prestongrange Museum, Morrison’s Haven, Prestonpans, EH32 9RX.
Family Craft Day
Pop into Prestongrange for our Family Craft Day
Free entry. Enjoy crafts relating to products made in Prestongrange over the centuries. Decorating glass bottles, modelling with air-drying clay, jewellery-making using sea glass and ceramic finds from nearby Morrison's Haven, and much more!
Saturday 5 September, 11am to 4.30pm at Prestongrange Visitor Centre.
Prestongrange Museum, Morrison’s Haven, Prestonpans, EH32 9RX.
An East Lothian Archaeology & Heritage Fortnight event.
Our 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
Morrison’s Haven, Prestonpans, EH32 9RX
Wednesday to Sunday 11am to 4.30pm
School Road, North Berwick, EH39 4JU
Wednesday to Saturday 11am to 4pm
65 High St, Musselburgh EH21 7BZ
Thursday to Saturday 10.30am to 4pm