172 REPORT OF THE MEETINGS FOR 1897 



forces commanded by General Sir George Don, G.C.B., to resist 

 the threatened invasion of Napoleon. In passing through 

 Belhaven the fine Winterfield property, famous for carrot grow- 

 ing, lies to the right, and the Belhaven maltings and brewery to 

 the left. An unsuccessful attempt was made herein 1815 to 

 establish a mill for the manufacture of cotton and flax goods. 



The village gives the title of Lord to a branch of the Hamilton 

 family. In 1647 Sir John Hamilton of Broomhill was created 

 Lord Belhaven and Stenton, which title is still borne by a 

 descendant of Hamilton of Wishaw. The disused brickfield at 

 Seafield on the right, was land reclaimed from the sea by 

 Bailie France of Dunbar. The late Mr Wm. Brodie, who 

 succeeded him, erected the unique mansion named Battle 

 Blent, which occupies an elevated site on the south side 

 of the road before reaching Westbarns. Here we left the old 

 post road, and proceeded in a south-westerly direction past the 

 schoolhouse towards Belton. The large flour mills, once 

 possessed of important thirlages, are now in a ruinous condition, 

 though parts of them in recent years have been restored and 

 utilised in the manufacture of malt extract — an industry new to 

 the south-east of Scotland. Many of the dwelling houses have 

 been untenanted since the disastrous fire in April 1892, whereby 

 the extensive paper mills of the late Mr Annandale 

 were destroyed. Parts of these mills have since been restored 

 and used for malting purposes. During the Revolutionary 

 War an encampment was formed here in 1796, under the 

 command of General Francis Dundas, and consisted of the 

 Scottish Brigade in two battalions, afterwards the 94th Foot, 

 and the 4th Eegiment of Dragoons. 



From the higher ground, after passing the Schoolhouse, we 

 obtained a good view of Belhaven Bay, the whitened cliffs of the 

 Bass, and the red sandstone towers and chimney-stacks of 

 Tyninghame House. The Isle of May was obscured by haze. 

 In front loomed the woods of Biel and Traprain Law. At 

 Hedderwick Hill, Westbarns, and Eweford, the last of the 

 grain crop was being secured. Before reaching South Belton 

 we crossed a road which joins the main road south of Dunbar 

 at Broxburn, and at its western end connects with the Dunbar 

 and Edinburgh road a few hundred yards to our right at 

 Beltonford Inn, near which a colony of jackdaws, whose 

 settlement is about the railway arch over the Biel Burn at 



