Editing East Lothian (section)

===Medieval and early modern period===
[[File:Dirleton S.jpg|thumb|left|Dirleton Castle]]

Haddingtonshire was heavily involved in several medieval and early modern conflicts and several fortified castles and buildings such as [[Dunbar Castle]], [[Tantallon Castle]] and [[Dirleton Castle]] date from this period.

In the 12th and 13th centuries, the [[Palace of Haddington]] was one of the seats of the [[Kings of Scotland]]. King [[William the Lion]] of Scotland used the palace from time to time and it was the birthplace of [[Alexander II of Scotland|Alexander II]] in 1198.<ref>{{Canmore|num=56510|desc=Palace of Haddington|access-date=12 February 2017}}</ref> The palace and town were burned and pillaged in 1216, by an English army under the command of [[John, King of England|King John of England]]. In 1296, the [[Battle of Dunbar (1296)|Battle of Dunbar]] was a decisive victory for the forces of [[Edward I of England]] against the forces of [[John Balliol]], the Scottish king who was Edward's vassal.

Haddingtonshire was also the site of conflict during the war of the [[Rough Wooing]], with many houses and villages burnt by the English in May 1544 after the [[burning of Edinburgh|sacking of Edinburgh]], the Scottish defeat at the [[battle of Pinkie]], [[Dunbar Castle]] burnt in 1548, and the [[siege of Haddington]]. Haddingtonshire lairds supported the English cause, including [[John Cockburn of Ormiston]], [[Alexander Crichton of Brunstane]], and [[Regent Arran]] demolished their houses.

During the [[War of the Three Kingdoms]], another [[Battle of Dunbar (1650)|Battle of Dunbar]] took place in 1650 between [[Covenanters|Scottish Covenanter]] forces and the [[Commonwealth of England|English Parliamentary forces]] under [[Oliver Cromwell]]. The Parliamentary forces were victorious and able to march on to take Edinburgh.

Following the [[Restoration (Scotland)|Restoration]] of the monarchy, [[Glorious Revolution]] and [[Acts of Union 1707|Acts of Union]], [[Jacobitism|Jacobite]] forces conflicted with Government forces, with the main conflict taking place as part of the [[Jacobite rising of 1715|1715 Rising]] and [[Jacobite rising of 1745|1745 Rising]]. Under the command of [[John Cope (British Army officer)|Sir John Cope]], the British Army met with the Jacobites under [[Charles Edward Stuart]] at the [[Battle of Prestonpans]] in the west of the county in September 1745, with the Jacobite side gaining a significant victory before being defeated at the [[Battle of Culloden]] in April 1746.