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Mercat Cross

📷 Leslie Barrie · Geograph · CC BY-SA 2.0

Plan your visit

BirdsWildlifeHeritage

Dogs welcome

Getting here

55.94323, -3.04817

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Visiting this summer

Seasonal nature notes and what to look for now

🐦87+ species recorded in this area — summer evenings are best for activity; watch for Oystercatcher and Wigeon
✦Historic character is a year-round quality here — summer brings its own atmosphere to the setting
☕Cammafi — a good base for a longer summer day out

🌤️ Visiting this summer

🐦87+ species recorded in this area — summer evenings are best for activity; watch for Oystercatcher and Wigeon
✦Historic character is a year-round quality here — summer brings its own atmosphere to the setting
☕Cammafi — a good base for a longer summer day out

Good to know

🐕Dogs welcome

Bike parkingCaféParking· FreeToilets

Best for

5 activities

Bird watching

Very strong match

Birds — Oystercatcher, Wigeon, Black-headed Gull +84 more · last seen 2026; Birds — Oystercatcher, Wigeon, Black-headed Gull +84 more · last seen 2026

Free

Wildlife

Very strong match

Multi-group wildlife — Birds, Mammals; Multi-group wildlife — Birds, Mammals

Free

Heritage

Strong match

Historic site

Free

Easy access

Good match

parking, toilets

Varies

Insect spotting

Good match

Insects — Harlequin Ladybird, 7-spot Ladybird, 2-spot Ladybird · last seen 2026; Insects — Harlequin Ladybird, 7-spot Ladybird, 2-spot Ladybird · last seen 2026

Free

Trails nearby

Within roughly 5 km

🚶

Walking

5 signed routes nearby

Signed route nearby

Innocent RailwayWalking route

Named routeRef CEC5

Core PathsWalking route

East Lothian Core Path Network

Named routeLocal walking route

John Muir Way (Edinburgh to Prestonpans)Walking route15.8 km

Named routeRef JMWLength 15.8 kmPoint-to-pointNational walking route

John Muir Way (Prestonpans to North Berwick)Walking route25 km

Named routeRef JMWLength 25 kmPoint-to-pointNational walking route

Pencaitland Railway WalkWalking route

Named routeLocal walking route

🚴

Cycling

68 signed routes nearby

Signed route nearby

Route RRCycling route

Named routeRef RRLocal cycle route

Quiet Route 10Cycling route

Named routeRef 10Local cycle route

NCN National Route 76Cycling route

Named routeRef 76Point-to-pointNational Cycle Network

NCN National Route 196Cycling route

Named routeRef 196National Cycle Network

John Muir WayCycling route215 km

Named routeRef JMWLength 215 kmPoint-to-pointRegional cycle route

Dalkeith to Edinburgh via GilmertonCycling route

Named routeLocal cycle route

🚵

Mountain biking

1 signed route nearby

Signed route nearby

Capital TrailMountain bike route

Named route

Wildlife to spot

214,488 records · National Biodiversity Network

Wildlife to spot

214,488 records · National Biodiversity Network

🐦

Birds54 species

winter

2026

Oystercatcher · Wigeon · Mallard · Gadwall · Pied Wagtail +49

OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegus
WigeonMareca penelope
MallardAnas platyrhynchos
GadwallMareca strepera
Pied WagtailMotacilla alba
Mute SwanCygnus olor
ShelduckTadorna tadorna
KestrelFalco tinnunculus
WoodpigeonColumba palumbus
TealAnas crecca
Canada GooseBranta canadensis
TurnstoneArenaria interpres
LapwingVanellus vanellus
Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus
StarlingSturnus vulgaris
House SparrowPasser domesticus
MagpiePica pica
RedshankTringa totanus
Herring GullLarus argentatus
JackdawColoeus monedula
Great Crested GrebePodiceps cristatus
Carrion CrowCorvus corone
Bar-tailed GodwitLimosa lapponica
CurlewNumenius arquata
Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus
Greylag GooseAnser anser
Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus
GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis
Red-breasted MerganserMergus serrator
CootFulica atra
Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus
PheasantPhasianus colchicus
KittiwakeRissa tridactyla
Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollis
RobinErithacus rubecula
TwiteLinaria flavirostris
Common GullLarus canus
DunlinCalidris alpina
CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo
Sand MartinRiparia riparia
Song ThrushTurdus philomelos
RookCorvus frugilegus
Great Black-backed GullLarus marinus
GoosanderMergus merganser
StonechatSaxicola rubicola
Reed BuntingEmberiza schoeniclus
LinnetLinaria cannabina
Grey WagtailMotacilla cinerea
Pink-footed GooseAnser brachyrhynchus
Ringed PloverCharadrius hiaticula
Grey PloverPluvialis squatarola
RazorbillAlca torda
Long-tailed DuckClangula hyemalis
Mediterranean GullIchthyaetus melanocephalus

🐝

Insects3 species

spring

2026

Harlequin Ladybird · 7-spot Ladybird · 2-spot Ladybird

Harlequin LadybirdHarmonia axyridis
7-spot LadybirdCoccinella septempunctata
2-spot LadybirdAdalia bipunctata

Species observations from the last 10 years via NBN Atlas

Wildlife to spot

214,488 records · National Biodiversity Network

🐦

Birds54 species

winter

2026

Oystercatcher · Wigeon · Mallard · Gadwall · Pied Wagtail +49

OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegus
WigeonMareca penelope
MallardAnas platyrhynchos
GadwallMareca strepera
Pied WagtailMotacilla alba
Mute SwanCygnus olor
ShelduckTadorna tadorna
KestrelFalco tinnunculus
WoodpigeonColumba palumbus
TealAnas crecca
Canada GooseBranta canadensis
TurnstoneArenaria interpres
LapwingVanellus vanellus
Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus
StarlingSturnus vulgaris
House SparrowPasser domesticus
MagpiePica pica
RedshankTringa totanus
Herring GullLarus argentatus
JackdawColoeus monedula
Great Crested GrebePodiceps cristatus
Carrion CrowCorvus corone
Bar-tailed GodwitLimosa lapponica
CurlewNumenius arquata
Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus
Greylag GooseAnser anser
Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus
GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis
Red-breasted MerganserMergus serrator
CootFulica atra
Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus
PheasantPhasianus colchicus
KittiwakeRissa tridactyla
Little GrebeTachybaptus ruficollis
RobinErithacus rubecula
TwiteLinaria flavirostris
Common GullLarus canus
DunlinCalidris alpina
CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo
Sand MartinRiparia riparia
Song ThrushTurdus philomelos
RookCorvus frugilegus
Great Black-backed GullLarus marinus
GoosanderMergus merganser
StonechatSaxicola rubicola
Reed BuntingEmberiza schoeniclus
LinnetLinaria cannabina
Grey WagtailMotacilla cinerea
Pink-footed GooseAnser brachyrhynchus
Ringed PloverCharadrius hiaticula
Grey PloverPluvialis squatarola
RazorbillAlca torda
Long-tailed DuckClangula hyemalis
Mediterranean GullIchthyaetus melanocephalus

🐝

Insects3 species

spring

2026

Harlequin Ladybird · 7-spot Ladybird · 2-spot Ladybird

Harlequin LadybirdHarmonia axyridis
7-spot LadybirdCoccinella septempunctata
2-spot LadybirdAdalia bipunctata

Species observations from the last 10 years via NBN Atlas

Wildlife to spot

Photos

📷 Leslie Barrie · Geograph · CC BY-SA 2.0

Mercat Cross, High Street, Musselburgh

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Nearby places

Useful places within 5 km

🌱Newhailes House & GardensUrban park1.9 km→🌱River Esk ParkUrban park600 m→🌱Fisherrow Links ParkUrban park600 m→🌱Pennypit ParkUrban park4.2 km→🌱Brighton ParkUrban park4.3 km→🌱Brighton ParkUrban park4.3 km→

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