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Preston Tower
Attractions in Prestonpans

Places to visit in Prestonpans, led by Preston Tower

Prestonpans’ list takes in 3 museums, 2 castles and 2 historic houses. We list 2 places to visit inside Prestonpans’ locality and 7 within 5 km of its edge. The list includes one place cared for by the National Trust for Scotland. At 14 km, Edinburgh Castle is worth the journey.

Photo: Preston Tower, Otter (CC BY-SA 3.0)
In Prestonpans
2
inside the locality
Within 5 km
7
of the town’s edge
Museums & galleries
3
in or near town
Castles & historic places
4
in or near town
Cared for
1
National Trust for Scotland, Historic Environment Scotland and others
Best known

Best known, in and near Prestonpans

The list goes on from Preston Tower to 2 historic houses, a museum and a castle.

CastlePreston Towerin townMuseumPrestongrange Mining Museumin townCastleFa'side Castle2 km outside town, to the southGarden · National Trust for ScotlandInveresk Lodge Garden2.8 km outside town, to the southwestHistoric houseCarberry Tower3.5 km outside town, to the southwestHistoric houseNewhailes House, Musselburgh4.5 km outside town, to the west

Each has a page of its own: what it is, who runs it, the weather month by month and what else is near it.

The map

How they lie

The farthest of them, Newhailes House, Musselburgh, is 6.5 km out.

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The dashed line is Prestonpans’ locality; orange marks its middle (where most people live). Numbers match the list below. © OpenStreetMap contributors · NRS locality 2022

By kind

The kinds on offer

Castles or historic places lead the count with 4; 3 are museums or galleries.

Museums & galleries 3 museums1 in town · 2 nearby
Castles & historic places 2 castles · 2 historic houses1 in town · 3 nearby
Gardens & estates 1 garden0 in town · 1 nearby
Other attractions 1 attraction0 in town · 1 nearby

Green: inside Prestonpans. Grey: within 5 km of its edge.

1 place is cared for by the National Trust for Scotland (Inveresk Lodge Garden).

Every place

Each place in turn

2 in town lead, with 7 more within 5 km of its edge after them.

The 2 inside Prestonpans come first, best known first; then the places within 5 km, close and well known first. Churches and listed buildings are on the History page, not here.

30 listed buildings and 3 scheduled monuments are on Prestonpans’ History page → · Parks, footpaths and green space in Prestonpans →

Big names nearby

Names further out

Edinburgh Castle, at 14 km, heads the 12.

Castle · Historic Environment ScotlandEdinburgh Castle14 km westBig drawArt galleryNational Gallery14 km west · 661K visitors a year (2021)Historic housePalace of Holyroodhouse12 km westMuseumNational Museum of Scotland13 km westCathedralSt Giles' Cathedral13 km westArt galleryScottish National Portrait Gallery13 km west · 313K visitors a year (2015)Abbey or prioryHolyrood Abbey12 km westMuseumHMY Britannia13 km westArt galleryScottish National Gallery of Modern Art16 km west · 458K visitors a year (2015)Castle · Historic Environment ScotlandCraigmillar Castle11 km westGardenRoyal Botanic Garden Edinburgh14 km westCastle · Historic Environment ScotlandTantallon Castle23 km northeast · 31K visitors a year (2009)

Places well known beyond Prestonpans (Wikipedia articles in several languages, published visitor counts, or a National Trust for Scotland or Historic Environment Scotland property), close and famous first. Distances are straight lines from the middle of the town.

Practical questions about Prestonpans

What are the main attractions in Prestonpans?

The best known inside Prestonpans’ locality are Preston Tower and Prestongrange Mining Museum. In all, 2 places to visit are mapped inside the town, and 7 more within 5 km.

Does Prestonpans have a museum?

3 museums and galleries are in or within 5 km of Prestonpans: Prestongrange Mining Museum, 1722 Waggonway Heritage Centre and Musselburgh Museum.

Is there a National Trust for Scotland or Historic Environment Scotland property near Prestonpans?

Yes. In or within 5 km of Prestonpans, 1 place is cared for by the National Trust for Scotland (Inveresk Lodge Garden).

What are the best-known days out near Prestonpans?

Within 40 km: Edinburgh Castle (14 km), National Gallery (14 km), Palace of Holyroodhouse (12 km), National Museum of Scotland (13 km).

Where are Prestonpans’ historic buildings listed?

Prestonpans has 30 listed buildings, 6 of them Category A. They are on its History page, from Historic Environment Scotland’s list, not repeated here.

How is this list made?

From OpenStreetMap (museums, galleries, zoos, theme parks and attractions, castles, forts and abbeys, and historic houses and gardens that are open to visitors) and Wikidata (what each place is, who runs it, its website and visitor counts). A place counts for Prestonpans when it is inside the NRS 2022 locality boundary, and as nearby within 5 km of its edge. Opening times and prices are not shown: check the official site.

Places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, Open Database Licence) and Wikidata (CC0), placed in the NRS 2022 locality (Open Government Licence v3.0). Visitor counts are the latest Wikidata gives, with their year.

Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).

Photo credits (18)

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.