The Royal Burgh of Haddington is a community in East Lothian, Scotland. It is the main administrative, cultural and also geographical centre for East Lothian, which as a result of late-nineteenth century Scottish local government reforms took the kind of the area of Haddingtonshire for the period from 1889-1921. It lies regarding 17 miles (27 km) east of Edinburgh. The name Haddington is Anglo-Saxon, dating from the 6th or 7th century AD when the location was incorporated right into the kingdom of Bernicia. The town, like the rest of the Lothian area, was delivered by King Edgar of England as well as entered into Scotland in the tenth century. Haddington received burghal status, one of the earliest to do so, during the power of David I (1124-- 1153), providing it trading rights which encouraged its growth into a market community. Today Haddington is a village with a population of fewer than 10,000 individuals; although throughout the High Middle Ages, it was the fourth-biggest city in Scotland after Aberdeen, Roxburgh as well as Edinburgh. In the middle of the town is the Town hall, built in 1748 according to a plan by William Adam. When first constructed, it inheld a council chamber, jail as well as sheriff court, to which assembly rooms were included 1788, and also a new clock in 1835. Neighboring is the Corn Exchange (1854) and also the County Courthouse (1833 ). Other neighboring notable websites consist of the Jane Welsh Carlyle House, Mitchell's Close as well as the native home of writer and also federal government reformer Samuel Smiles on the High Street, marked by a commemorative plaque.