Musselburgh Racecourse (UK) is a horse sporting facility that is positioned in the Millhill area around Musselburgh in Scotland. It occupies a prestigious position as the second largest racing facility in the whole of Scotland. [After Ayr].
Again, Musselburgh is the fourth largest racing spot in the United Kingdom. With top quality amenities that very few other grounds can rival, the racecourse has over 20 fixtures each season.
Musselburgh offers both National Hunt and Flat racing meetings throughout the year and punters are looking for real cash. In the middle of the course, there is a nine-hole golf course that dates back to 1672. This golf club makes Musselburgh one of the very few horse sporting arenas with leisure and sporting amenities that have been in existence for more than three centuries.
The racing facility is positioned on Good common land in Musselburgh. Located in the eastern part of the town, the racing site is about two miles away from the Edinburgh City Bypass. Due to its prime position in an urban setting, Musselburgh is one of the racecourses that are easy to access regardless of the transport means.
The very first races at Musselburgh took place in 1777 under the organisation of Royal Caledonian Hunt. Between 1789 and 1816, notable race meetings took place at the sporting grounds on the sands of Leith, although some of the events took place in the town area at the same time. However, if you want more information, the meetings returned permanently to Musselburgh. At this time, the course had been laid out by the town council, making it possible for numerous events to be held at the racing grounds. So beautiful was the new racecourse that the National Hunt racing team distributed 50 guineas to the poor people of Musselburgh.
In 2016, Musselburgh marked two centuries since the start of racing activities at the location. The management hosted special racing events to mark 200 years since the first ever horse riding event took place on the Musselburgh soil. The thrilling celebratory horse races attracted racegoers from all over Britain and thousands of enthusiasts as well as horse sporting sightseers from all over the world.
After legalisation of betting shops in 1963, the attendance at Musselburgh went down drastically. This sharp decline of racing fans hit the facility quite hard, with some racing event going almost bankrupt. This persisted for over two decades. Not even a financial reprieve in the 1980s could salvage the beleaguered racecourse. Even after the administration started selling pictures to the betting shops as part of curing the enduring financial woes, the proceeds did not help completely revive the crumbling horse riding facility.
Due to the continuing fiscal challenges, East Lothian Council took over the management of the sporting site in 1991 with the aim of restoring the dwindling fortunes of the near-bankrupt venue. However, the situation did not show any promising signs of change until 1994. Nonetheless, the horse sporting arena gradually limped one step after another until it finally outgrew decades of financial woes to curve itself a coveted niche as one of the most noteworthy horse racing facilities in the United Kingdom and Europe at large.
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Contact details: Musselburgh Racecourse, Linkfield Road, Musselburgh, East Lothian, EH21 7RG
Tel: 0131 655 2859
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