Newtongrange latitude 55°52.1' N, longitude 3°03.8' W British National Grid NT 335 645 altitude 100 m   Some twelve kilometers southeast of the city of Edinburgh lies the small village of Newtongrange (or in the local dialect: Nitten). It is part of the cluster of villages, all lying within close distance of each other, that form the urban heart of Midlothian. Just west of Newtongrange runs the A7, clearly visible in the aerial photo. This is one of the main roads connecting Edinburgh with Midlothian and the Borders. From north to south through the photo runs the former railroad between Edinburgh and Carlisle, the Waverley Route. Its track can easily be recognized, going straight south from Eskbank towards the A7, then over the Newbattle Viaduct at Lothianbridge, curving south again along the edge of Newtongrange, and finally through the grounds of the former Lady Victoria Colliery. The railroad was closed in 1969, as were so many other railway lines throughout Great Britain around that time. There are currently plans to partially reopen this line. Less visible is the River South Esk, originating in the Moorfoot Hills some 15 kilometers further south. Near Newtongrange it passes Dalhousie Castle and then flows through a shallow valley, crossed by the Newbattle Viaduct and the A7 at Lothianbridge. A few kilometers further north the river joins the North Esk before continuing its journey to the Firth of Forth, just east of Edinburgh. Unfortunately the aerial photo is somewhat out of date, as it was taken in 1992. The football grounds between the A7 and the former railroad have since been replaced by a residential site (prominently visible in the photo at the bottom of this page). This is somewhat of a blessing in disguise for the local football club who now play a new field 500 meters further north. On the south edge of Newtongrange lies the former Lady Victoria Colliery (coal mine), once one of the village's main sources of employment. The mine was closed in 1981 and today the colliery buildings house the Scottish Mining Museum. Not far from the museum, on the banks of the South Esk, lies Dalhousie Castle, now a hotel and restaurant. On the other side of Newtongrange, about one kilometer north of the village, lie the grounds of Newbattle Abbey. The abbey was originally founded in 1140 and is these days home to the Newbattle Abbey College for adult education. To see how the area around Newtongrange has changed over the past 150 years, click on the aerial photo to view a map from 1854. Or perhaps you want to know more? Then check out this list of web pages that in one way or an other relate to Newtongrange. About the images Click on the aerial photo to toggle between the photo and a map from 1854. The size of the shown area is approximately 4 km horizontal by 3.5 km vertical. The red dot marks the spot from where the overview of Newtongrange and Mayfield was photographed. (The map image is reproduced from the www.old-maps.co.uk service with permission of Landmark Information Group Ltd. and Ordnance Survey.) The overview photo shows Newtongrange (in the foreground) and Mayfield (in the background). The tree line in the foreground marks the west side of the South Esk valley. The place from where this image was taken is marked by a red dot in the aerial photo.The horizontal field of view is approximately 35 degrees and the view direction is almost due east.

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