History of the Tranent Site
Before we moved to our Tranent site, we were located in the village of Inveresk just outside Musselburgh, and were called Inveresk Research. To the right is a picture of our first office at Inveresk House back in 1947. At that time, we were known as the Scottish Seaweed Research Centre, because we started off researching seaweed!
Seaweed was a pretty big deal back in 1947, as this newspaper extract shows:
“HERE, Scotland has a chance. Eire, Norway America, Japan, have all, in varying ways, exploited their seaweed resources. We are only at the beginning, and this splendid research station gives us the opportunity not only of making up on these countries, but of surpassing them.” So declared the Right Hon. Joseph Westwood, Secretary of State for Scotland, when, on September 19, he officially opened the headquarters of the Scottish Seaweed Research Association—the Institute of Seaweed Research, Inveresk Gate, Musselburgh, Midlothian. Until recently a large mansion house, Inveresk Gate now contains adequate botanical, chemical, engineering and photographic laboratories, engineering workshops, a drawing office, a library, and conference and display rooms, apart from the necessary offices. The Institute stands in eleven acres of ground, and is situated sufficiently near Edinburgh, the University, and the sea to meet the Association's various needs."
This is the first page of the visitor’s book from 1947, showing some special visitors. Among those present were the Secretary of State for Scotland and the Provost of the Burgh of Musselburgh.
Before Charles River, this site was Fleets Colliery, which was almost at the centre of the East Lothian coal field. The pit started in the 1850s, and the first pit sunk into the Great Seam right under our Lecture Room!
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This picture shows the extent of the industrial nature of the site with some major buildings covering the entire area.
An interesting fact about Fleet Colliery is that it was the first pit in Scotland to provide cleaning facilities. Before then, miners arrived home filthy and had to clean themselves over a sink or in a tin bath in front of the fire.
The baths were opened on 31 July, 1937, and were built by the Miner’s Welfare Committee and the Miner’s Welfare Fund.
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We have gone through quite a few changes since then!
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Aerial shot of the Tranent site around 1975.
At the bottom, you can see the original cottage (used as a store) from the mining days.
Aerial shot of the Tranent site today.