East Lothian covers an area of approximately 270 square miles, and a coast line of roughly 43 miles. Its population is around 89,000 with almost half living in the Musselburgh, Prestonpans, Cockenzie and Tranent area. Musselburgh which is the largest town is to the East of Edinburgh just on the outskirts of the city, while Haddington which is more central to the county is the administrative centre.

East Lothian is a dormitory area for the city, and is very much a rural community boasting some of the most fertile farm land in Scotland. The major towns include Musselburgh, Tranent, Dunbar, North Berwick, Prestonpans/ Cockenzie/ Port Seton. The county is also spotted with villages and hamlets offering a diverse range of living styles from urban to village life. Tourism and leisure play a significant role in the economy, and is backed by an ever widening industrial base ranging from power generation, electronics, manufacturing/ processing, IT/ Financial, and several "dot.com" companies spread throughout the county. However, East Lothian lacks private sector major employers, those within the administrative, financial, call centre, service and other traditional office-based industries.

The A1 dual-carriageway offers fast access to and from East Lothian, with easy links to the A720 city by-pass and onto Scotland's motorway network. The main East Coast railway line to Newcastle, York, and London runs through the heart of the county, with a main line stop at Dunbar. Local rail services run between North Berwick and Edinburgh - Haymarket, with stops at Drem, Longniddry, Prestonpans, Wallyford, and Musselburgh. The local commuter service is frequent during peak times, with ample free parking spaces at the local stations. Bus services are provided by regional and local companies, with Lothian Regional Transport running town service buses.

Property within the county ranges from starter homes to "Luxury Executive" developments. Housing to suit most people's requirements and pockets.

Leisure time is well catered for with facilities to suit most people. From an extensive list of golf courses (Open Championship course Muirfield included), go-karts, bowling, hill walking, several local authority swimming pools, sports and health/ fitness centres to Flight and Car museums, Sunday Markets, motorcycle racing, castles, John Muir Country Park, and for the 'gourmets' a good selection of fine restaurants and eating houses all within easy reach.