A £3.7m contract for the creation of a new archive, library, museum and heritage centre for East Lothian has been approved.

The facility, to be called the John Gray Centre, will be created in converted listed buildings on Lodge Street, Haddington.

The John Gray Centre will house the Haddington branch library, the East Lothian local history centre, a museum and exhibition space and the East Lothian archives.

The National Archives of Scotland will return the local archives to East Lothian where access to this rich collection can be further developed and promoted through an innovative approach to heritage centred on access, community involvement and education.

-- Advertisement --

East Lothian Council's Community Services spokesperson, Cllr. Paul McLennan, said: "The John Gray Centre is an exciting project that brings together well used, established council services such as the branch library for Haddington with new heritage facilities to provide a centre that will appeal to local people and visitors alike.

"It is particularly apt that the centre, which will include archives and artefacts detailing the rich history of the county will be situated in buildings which have a strong historical link to earlier commerce in the town when they served as a bank, a seed merchant's building and a grain store built in the 19th century.

In addition to the local library the facility will contain a local history centre where people can research family trees or the history of their house or village and exhibitions areas which will display both local and traveling exhibitions."

(GK/BMcC)