The Musselburgh Races are a series of horse racing meetings that take place in East Lothian, Scotland, every year. The organisers say that their yearly attendance stands at over 70,000 visitors per annum, a rise from a mere 38,000 or so in 1999. In 2011, the Musselburgh Races were awarded with the Dual Purpose Award, beating much larger events held at places such as Royal Ascot, for example. This prestigious prize was given at the Neil Wyatt Racecourse Groundstaff Awards. The RCA Showcase Awards has also given several plaudits to Musselburgh Races over the years. Both flat racing and National Hunt meetings are held over the course of a season at Musselburgh.

Musselburgh Races' history

Located close to the Firth of Forth, Musselburgh's racecourse is situated a short distance from the town itself. The Royal Musselburgh Golf Club was founded there at the same location, as long ago as 1774, but horse racing only took place at the course from 1777 onwards. In those times, the racing was conducted by the Royal Caledonian Hunt; a club that had the Duke of Hamilton as its first president. In later years, racing switched from the course to the sandy banks of Leith. In an effort to get horse racing to return to Musselburgh, the town's council constructed a new track that stood at just over a mile in length. From 1816, organised horse racing recommenced at the course.

Over the course of the next century or so, Musselburgh continued to thrive. It ended up becoming the second largest racecourse in Scotland, with only Ayr being grander. Nevertheless, the racecourse went into decline somewhat after the 1963 Act of Parliament that allowed off-course gambling to take place in licensed betting shops. As attendance numbers dropped, it was feared that racing might end at Musselburgh as it had done at other courses, such as Lanark. As a result, the local council again took control, this time taking it from the then owners, Lothians Racing Syndicate Limited, in 1991.

A huge investment programme of £7.5 million took place in the 1990s, much of it spent on a thorough refurbishment plan. The old Edwardian Grandstand was made anew and improvements to the track itself were also made. An all-weather strip was put in place in 2012 in order to prevent races being cancelled due to poor weather. The number of race meetings at Musselburgh also grew. By 2016, no fewer than 28 separate fixtures were staged at the racecourse.

Similar to Musselburgh Races

Fans of sporting events in this part of Scotland should seek out Six Nations Rugby tickets at nearby Murrayfield, in Edinburgh. Alternatively, look for Grand National tickets, held at Aintree in England.