Photo by Joyce Hunnam
Gullane, the largest village in the Community Council area, has a population of around 4,000. It is a thriving village that is proud to have several community amenities, including a primary school, village hall, tennis club, bowling club, all-weather sports pitch, shops, day centre and GP practice.
Gullane is internationally famous for golf and has several top quality courses. In 2015 Gullane Golf Club hosted the Scottish Open and this year 2018, the club is hosting the Scottish Open and the Ladies Scottish Open championships.
The Gullane Bents are the village’s award-winning beach, backed by large sand dunes. Gullane is on the John Muir Way, a long distance footpath along the coast between Musselburgh and Dunglass. Both the beaches and local walks 10 Walks around Aberlady Gullane and Dirleton attract locals and visitors alike, to enjoy the beauty of Gullane and the surrounding area.
There has been a church in the village since the 9th century. The Old Church of St. Andrew, built in the 12th century, lies at the western entrance to the village and is at present the subject of a restoration project. It was abandoned in the 17th century after a series of sandstorms made it unusable and the church at Dirleton took its place as the parish church.
The village is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth whilst to the south is a rural hinterland which is part of the Community Council Gullane ward.