Midlothian (Meadhan Lodainn in Gaelic) is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, and a lieutenancy area. It borders the Scottish Borders, East Lothian and the City of Edinburgh council areas.

The council area was created in 1996, under the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994, with the boundaries of the Midlothian district of the Lothian region. The district had been created in 1975, under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, and it consisted of the local government county of Midlothian, minus the burgh of Musselburgh and Calder, Cramond, Currie and Inveresk areas.

Midlothian and Edinburgh

The county of Midlothian was known, officially, as the County of Edinburgh until 1921. The ancient county had alternative names; Midlothian or Edinburghshire^[1]

Edinburgh was a part of the county of Midlothian; traces of this can be found in the name of the Heart of Midlothian mosaic on the Royal Mile, and Heart of Midlothian F.C., both of which are based firmly within the city boundaries, and are no longer part of the Midlothian council area at all.

Constituencies

There is a Midlothian constituency of the Scottish Parliament and a Midlothian constituency of the House of Commons.

Towns and villages

• Auchendinny
• Bilston
• Bonnyrigg
• Borthwick
• Carrington
• Dalkeith
• Danderhall
• Easthouses
• Fala
• Fushiebridge
• Gorebridge
• Gowkshill
• Hillend
• Howgate
• Lasswade
• Leadburn
• Loanhead
• Mayfield
• Millerhill
• Milton Bridge
• Newbattle
• Newtongrange
• Nine Mile Burn
• North Middleton
• Pathhead
• Penicuik
• Rosewell
• Roslin
• Shawfair
• Silverburn
• Temple

Places of interest

• Borthwick Castle
• Castlelaw Fort
• Crichton Castle
• Dalhousie Castle
• Dalkeith Palace
• Flotterstone
• Hawthornden Castle
• Hillend Snowsports Centre
• Mavisbank House
• Newbattle Abbey
• Pentland Hills
• Roslin Castle
• Roslin Glen Country Park
• Rosslyn Chapel
• Tyne-Esk Walk
• Vogrie Country Park
• Wallace's Cave

Notable People Associated with Midlothian

• Sir Walter Scott (1771-1832) wrote the novel The Heart of Midlothian and lived at Lasswade Cottage (now Sir Walter Scott's Cottage) in Lasswade from 1798 to 1804, where he wrote his Grey Brother, translation of Goetz von Berlichingen, etc and was visited by Wordsworth.
• William Drummond of Hawthornden (1585-1649), Scottish poet.
• William Gladstone (1809-1898), MP for Midlothian 1880-1895 and conducted his famous Midlothian campaign across the UK in 1880
• Thomas de Quincey (1785-1859), author of Confessions of an English Opium-Eater (1822), lived in Lasswade from 1840 until his death in 1859. He had his headquarters and family abode at Man's Bush Cottage (now De Quincey Villa).
• John Clerk, Lord Eldin (1757-1832), Scottish Judge, lived in Lasswade for several years.
• William Tennant, the author of Anster Fair, was parish schoolmaster in Lasswade from 1816 to 1819.
• Thomas Murray (1792-1872), the Gallovidian author, died in Lasswade.
• John Clerk of Penicuik, 2nd Baronet (1676?1755), was a Scottish politician, lawyer, judge, composer and architect.
• William McTaggart (1835-1910), Scottish landscape painter, lived in Lasswade

Schools in Midlothian

Primary schools

• Bonnyrigg Primary School, Bonnyrigg
• Cornbank St James Primary School, Penicuik
• Cuiken Primary School, Penicuik
• Danderhall Primary School, Danderhall, Dalkeith
• Glencorse Primary School, Milton Bridge, Penicuik
• Gorebridge Primary School, Gorebridge
• Hawthornden Primary School, Bonnyrigg
• Hopefield Primary School, Bonnyrigg
• King's Park Primary School, Dalkeith
• Lawfield Primary School, Mayfield, Dalkeith
• Lasswade Primary School, Bonnyrigg
• Loanhead Primary School, Loanhead
• Mauricewood Primary School, Penicuik
• Mayfield Primary School, Mayfield, Dalkeith
• Moorfoot Primary School, Gorebridge
• Newtongrange Primary School, Newtongrange, Dalkeith
• Paradykes Primary School, Loanhead
• Rosewell Primary School, Rosewell
• Roslin Primary School, Roslin
• Sacred Heart RC Primary School, Penicuik
• St Andrew's RC Primary School, Gorebridge
• St David's RC Primary School, Dalkeith
• St Luke's RC Primary School, Mayfield, Dalkeith
• St Margaret's RC Primary School, Loanhead
• St Mary's RC Primary School, Bonnyrigg
• St Matthew's RC Primary School, Rosewell
• Stobhill Primary School, Gorebridge
• Strathesk Primary School, Penicuik
• Tynewater Primary School, Pathhead
• Woodburn Primary School, Dalkeith

Secondary schools

• Beeslack Community High School, Penicuik
• Dalkeith High School, Dalkeith
• Lasswade High School Centre, Bonnyrigg
• Newbattle Community High School, Dalkeith
• Penicuik High School, Penicuik
• St David's RC High School, Dalkeith

Special schools

• Saltersgate School, Dalkeith
• Support & Reintegration Services, Gowkshill, Gorebridge
• Wellington Residential School, Penicuik

Twinning

Midlothian is twinned with Komárom-Esztergom in Hungary.

Famous Battles

The Battle of Roslin was a battle of the First War of Scottish Independence, taking place on 24 February 1303 at Roslin, Scotland. A Scottish army led by Simon Fraser and John Comyn defeated the English. Although a significant action, only a few hundred men, all of them heavy cavalry, were involved on either side. The English force was raised in Northumberland and was tasked with intervening in support of the occupation forces of Edward I. The much smaller Scottish force rode through the night from Biggar, intercepted them and defeated them in two, possibly three, sharp fights. The site of the battle has been said to be the field opposite the old and new burial grounds. Members of the Comyn, Fraser and possibly Sinclair families fought at the Battle of Roslin.

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