Proof that this East Lothian village is a cut above the average comes from the fact that Stenton (the name means ‘stone town’) is designated an Outstanding Conservation Area. There’s certainly no denying its colourful visual impact, with beautiful pink-lilac sandstone buildings topped by orange pantile roofs, village-style greens, and notable architectural gems that include a gothic parish church and home of a former British Prime Minister. From the outside it looks as though time has stood still; but the old grocery, bakehouse, smithy and joiner’s are now all private houses, as are the buildings round the old horsemill/ Derelict properties have been sympathetically restored and, like the others, internally modernised to meet the demands of 21st century lifestyles.

Believed to date back to the 1500s, the village, which is surrounded by farmland, has always had its roots in agriculture. Cattle and sheep markets were a weekly feature  and old scales and Mercat posts still insitu on the East Green serve as a link to the past. But where people once gathered to buy and sell animals, nowadays the village’s crowd-pulling power owes more to aesthetics and its picturesque appeal to artists, photographers and tourists.

The architectural centrepiece and pulse of rural village life is a church, although not always one as imposing as Stenton’s cathedral-like parish church.  Designed by William Burn and built in gothic style in 1829, it replaced a medieval church, the ruined remains of which include a huge stone baptismal font that is still standing. Curiously, while the present church has a vestry, beautiful stained glass windows, bell tower, east gallery and former laird’s gallery, it doesn’t have a church hall. As a result, pews were removed to form a meeting area at the back of the church, while the nearby village community hall accommodates other church events.

Stenton’s close proximity to larger towns like Dunbar, East Linton  - even Edinburgh, which is only 30-minutes drive - has helped preserve its status as a small and unspoilt village that caters for everyday needs, with a primary school, post office and a few shops (including an art gallery). Other attractions that make a visit worthwhile are buildings that span several centuries: 17th century Rushlaw House; 18th century

Mitchell’s House – originally two separate buildings, one of which was a dairy business that delivered milk, the other a schoolroom – and 19th century Whittingehame House –

both Rushlaw and the latter once home to Arthur Balfour, a former British Prime Minister.

To live in such picturesque splendour would arguably be the ultimate lifestyle location – but as property in this part of the region is about as scare as hen’s teeth, a visit is the next best thing. A holiday or day trip to Stenton lets you appreciate the village’s charm and tranquillity, yet just three miles away the coastline makes sailing, surfing, swimming and fishing readily available while the surrounding countryside is a mecca for walkers, cyclists, golfers and nature lovers.  Other unique attractions nearby include the award-winning Scottish Seabird Centre at North Berwick, the John Muir Country Park, East Links Family Farm, Bellhaven Brewery, Glenkinchie Distillery, and the Museum of Flight, where it’s possible to go onboard Concorde. Add in a wide choice of some of the best restaurants, pubs and hotels you’ll find anywhere, and it’s easy to see why this corner of Scotland is such a gem.