Dunbar

Dunbar is a coastal burgh east of Edinburgh, with a harbour beneath the ruins of its castle. The stronghold was long associated with the Earls of Dunbar and March, and the road along the coast made the town a strategic point on the approach to the Scottish capital. Its harbour offered shelter and a landing place for ships in the Firth of Forth.

In September 1650 Oliver Cromwell's English army found itself at Dunbar, pursued by Scottish forces under David Leslie. Cromwell attacked and won a decisive victory over the Scots on 3 September, opening the way for the occupation of much of Scotland. The battle was one of several encounters fought near this coastal stronghold during wars between the two kingdoms.