East Lothian is a generous county for bees. The East Lothian Beekeepers Association points to its relatively warm, sunny climate and fertile soils, the lime trees planted in the grounds of many old estates, and an abundance of heather across the Lammermuirs. A beekeepers' association was first founded here in 1887, prompted by a letter from the Reverend John Kerr of Dirleton, and it may be the earliest local association in Scotland still in existence. The association holds an annual honey competition at its AGM in January.
Some producers here go back generations. Hoods Honey is now run by Stuart Hood, whose father George began making honey in East Lothian in 1950 after being taught by the renowned Innerleithen beekeeper Willie Smith. The business still keeps the Smith strain of bee, and at the end of the season it brings its hives back to Ormiston for extraction. At Kilduff Farm, between Haddington and North Berwick, the Scottish Bee Company's bees make a set blossom honey from rapeseed, hawthorn, clover and legumes, and pollinate the farm's pumpkins and apple trees along the way.
Honey from ELBKA members is sold at a few local outlets, including Brand's Family Farm at East Fortune, and Hoods Honey is stocked in farm shops and grocers.
Use the listing details to choose how to buy, then contact the producer before travelling.
The directory does not track live stock or harvest dates. Availability, collection, delivery, prices and seasonal varieties can change, so ask the producer to confirm what is currently available.
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