Spotlight on Gullane

View across the main green to the Mallard Hotel

Next week my little town is going to be overrun with people when the 2013 British Golf Open comes to Muirfield. Before images of it get beamed all over the country I decided now would be a nice opportunity to do a blog post all about Gullane.

First of all let me get one thing straight. It is pronounced Gull-ane. Not 'Gillin'. It's only pronounced 'Gillin' if you live on the north side of the main road and you're a posh twat. Us ordinary folk know it as Gullane. Quite why it's called this, I have no idea, but don't let the name put you off.

Gullane is officially big enough to be a town (we figured this out ten years back in geography), but it's a small town. The main high street boasts the essential Co-op, butchers, hairdressers, chip shop and two cafes. For such a small place we have an abundance of golf courses: 5 to be exact. We also have 4 pubs, all of them of the 'old man' variety. I used to work at the Golf Inn on the main high street. It's a beautiful old building, covered in ivy and it used to have a warm, cosy bar area with a great menu. Unfortunately, it was taken over last winter and the reports I have heard have not been positive. I do recommend a trip to the Auld Clubhoose round by the main green. They have quite a small menu, but their sticky toffee pudding is amazing and the inside decor is pretty quirky.

Goose Green

Gullane is a pretty little place. Goose Green is located to the north of the main street and it's like a village scene from a period drama with all the old houses and cottages. It's a great place to sit and soak up the sun. We also have a lovely beach, which is very popular on hot, sunny days. If you're looking to cool down after that, both the German cafe and the little sweet shop on the main street sell gorgeous ice cream.

As well as this, Gullane is home to the fire training school, where students train to become firefighters. It's actually at the top of my road and sometimes you can watch them carrying out exercises from my room window. Thursday night is fireman night in the village, so ladies, if you have a thing for firemen, get down to Gullane on a Thursday night!

A picture can convey so much more than words, so I'll leave you with some snaps I've taken over the last few years. Look out for some of these landmarks on your TV screens next week, or better still, come visit it for yourself. We're an hour away from Edinburgh by bus.

Little church just over from Goose Green

View across to Gullane No 1 Course and my dream house (the one with the round tower)