Gifford, East Lothian

This page is about the village in Scotland. For other uses, see Gifford.

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Gifford is a village in East Lothian, Scotland. It lies approximately 4 miles south of Haddington and 25 miles east of Edinburgh.

The area is thought to have been first settled around 1421, with Gifford becoming a named settlement in 1708. The initial chief industry in the town was the paper mill, which was once the source of the Bank of Scotland's bank notes. However, this mill closed in the late 18th century and since then the village has largely been residential and supported local farming communities.

The town church has a bell which dates from the 15th century, while the "mercat cross" was established in 1780 and is still standing in the town square. There are two inns in the village, the Tweedale Arms and the Goblin Ha', the latter named after an underground chamber in a nearby country house featured in the novel Marmion by Sir Walter Scott. There is also a golf course and a large park which is near the Gifford Water (river).

Famous Residents

• Rev. John Witherspoon, a signatory to the American Declaration of Independence, was born in Gifford in 1722.