Looking at the village today, it would challenge the casual observer to uncover any evidence of an important maritime past.  But look closely and it is there. 

An artist's impression of the market town of Aberlady, once a Barony which included Abercorn and Preston.  There was a distinct lack of timber at this time.  It was the versatile plastic of the day and whatever existed was soon in the possession of wealthy merchants for the building of fine townhouses or other purposes.  Only small pieces of brushwood would generally be available for village dwellers.  Consequently, most of the houses of the period would be built of wattle and mud construction, and thus single storey and sharing adjoining walls.

(click to see entire panel).

Illustration by David Simon

Of course, the stone Market Cross in the Main Street is a real give away clue to a trading heritage.  Its antiquity is not certain but it is likely to be 17th or 18th century.  Its likely too that the Market Cross, recently restored but still missing whatever design stood atop its high shaft, replaced an earlier one.  From here, important notices would be read out to the assembled crowds. 

In the Main Street nestles a property known as the "Old Porthouse".  And, "Down the Wynd” - as the winding road leading to the former harbour area at Kilspindie Point is still known - may be found the former malt barns, or granary, from where malt and grain were store ready to be shipped out.  A long time customer was the Red Lion Brewery, Winchester who used Aberlady produce for its "Nappy Ale". 

Adjacent to the Sea Green is a close known as "Cockle Square".  Running northwards at right angles to this once stood a row of fishing cottages known as "Mussel Raw" (Row).  On Fair Days and Fast Days at Haddington calls of 'Aberlady Cockles and Mussels, Alive O' were commonly heard as village fishwives sold their harvested shellfish from laden baskets.  

The welcoming sign of the Old Ship Inn, Aberlady 

On the south side of Cockle Square stands a building with a sailing ship in full sail above its gabled doorway.  This was the property of Captain Smith, who ran it as the "Old Ship Inn".  According to a historical novel based in the village, Jamie Smith regularly dispensed contraband gin, rum and brandy from his premises.   Whether or not this is true is hard to tell but beyond doubt are the verses of rhyme passed down through generations of village folk.  

Rin doon the Wynd, Willie Crunk,

Flee quick this nicht, John Arnot,

The Dutchman's lichts are showin',

Just arrived direct frae Flushing,

The coast is clear, get oot the ankers,

And cheat a' the preventive Jankers!

The John Arnot referred to above had a cottage just behind that part of the Main Street in the vicinity of the Market Cross.   The historical novel referred to - entitled “The Skipper’s Daughters” by the late village author John Pringle Reid (1862-1931) - keeps alive village memories of a smugglers cave.  Here the village smugglers safely stored their contraband goods from the peering eyes and alert ears of the exciseman.  Following the recent discovery of a plan of the cave, its hidden entrance, for so many years lying unseen, was reopened.  See the archaeological record webpage for more information. 

Plan of the interior layout of the cave, showing the hidden rececesses in which

smugglers would store their contraband goods

The internal construction of this narrow man-made, stone-built, cave with its many hidden recesses fits exactly the description given in the novel.  The book is being prepared for re-publication.

"The walls and roof about 4 feet high by 3 feet wide were built with stones from the sea-side, and, about twenty yards from the entrance, there was a cellar on the left hand side, and a few yards further on a similar apartment on the other side.  In one of these, the last time we ourselves made an exploration, there was an empty cask, which may be there still, for all we can tell.  Captain Smith had had these cellars carefully hidden by doors covered with lime and stones, and difficult to distinguish from the rest of the walls."

Although it is written that the smuggled liquor was of a superior quality to the taxed varieties, it is highly improbable that the contraband enjoyed by Aberlady locals and travellers at the Old Ship Inn was sufficiently profitable to merit the time and effort in building such a complex cave structure.  It was also unlikely that the intrepid smugglers could keep such an enterprise a secret.  Thus, the question arises as to the original purpose and date of the structure, and its buiilders. 

In this respect, it is more than interesting that the cave lies immediately below the centre of the extensive Iron Age fort!  Such underground stone-built chambers are commonly associated with the early forts of the period.  Only firm dating evidence from inside the structure will confirm this but, for the time being, the evidence suggests it was built in the Iron Age as a 'souterrain' as such underground chambers are known.   

The links here and towards Longniddry reportedly contain a number of cists (graves) of the period. 

Excavation of the cave entrance

See archaeology report for more information