Musselburgh Tolbooth

The Tolbooth sits bang in the middle of Musselburgh's High Street, a chunky red sandstone tower that's been watching over this East Lothian town since 1590. It's the sort of building you can't miss - all crow-stepped gables and a bell tower that still catches the eye whether you're walking past or deliberately seeking it out.

What you're actually looking at is a working piece of local administration history. The ground floor once housed the town's jail, while upstairs served as the council chamber and courthouse. These days it's not exactly packed with interactive displays or audio guides - this is a proper historic building, not a polished visitor attraction. But that's rather the point. You can peer in through the windows and see enough to understand what life was like for both prisoners and magistrates in centuries past.

It's a five-minute stop rather than a two-hour adventure. History buffs and those interested in Scottish burgh architecture will get more from it than families with restless kids. The real value is in how it anchors Musselburgh's past - this was a royal burgh, remember, with enough importance to warrant its own tolbooth.

If you're staying at Drummohr Camping & Glamping or Haven Seton Sands Holiday Village, the Tolbooth makes an easy town visit between park time. Walk around it, photograph the stonework, then grab a coffee nearby. It costs nothing and takes no time, which makes it a proper no-brainer addition to any East Lothian stop.