The United States Consul General in Edinburgh, Kathryn Porter, visited East Lothian this month.
I am deeply impressed by the rich cultural heritage and innovative spirit of East Lothian. The strong ties between our communities are evident in the shared history and ongoing collaborations.
Ms Porter assumed charge as U.S. Consul General in Edinburgh in August 2024 following previous overseas postings to Moscow, Krakow, Johannesburg, Toronto, and Tijuana.
Invited to tour East Lothian by Provost John McMillan, the Consul General visited John Muir’s Birthplace Museum in Dunbar, the Flag Heritage Centre at Athelstaneford, Glenkinchie Distillery near Pencaitland and the new Edinburgh Innovation HUB at Queen Margaret University. At each stop on their short tour of East Lothian, they met with staff, trustees, and business leaders to hear about their work and ongoing connections with the USA.
'Brand Scotland' continues to grow
Provost John McMillan said: “East Lothian has deep and historic links with the United States, not least through John Muir who is seen as instrumental in the establishment of the network of National Park in the U.S. and continues to inspire people all over the world to this day. Some 25 per cent of overseas visitors to East Lothian are from the U.S. and we were very happy to hear from the Consul General that ‘brand Scotland’ continues to grow in popularity in the USA.”
U.S Consul General Kathryn Porter said: “I am deeply impressed by the rich cultural heritage and innovative spirit of East Lothian. The strong ties between our communities are evident in the shared history and ongoing collaborations we witnessed during this visit. I look forward to fostering even greater connections that will benefit both the United States and East Lothian.”
Duncan Smeed, Chair of the John Muir Birthplace Charitable Trust, said: “Trustees of the John Muir Birthplace Charitable Trust and staff of the council’s Museum Service were delighted to welcome Kathryn Porter, the U.S. Consul General, to the John Muir Birthplace museum. During the visit the Consul General gained more insight into Muir’s early life in Dunbar and his later influence and legacy in the U.S. A particular focus of the visit were discussions around plans for the future updating and refresh of the top floor plus ‘Legacy’, an exhibition to highlight the climate challenges we all face and how we can all be inspired by people like Muir and help mitigate and adapt to these challenges. Ms Porter summarised her experience of the visit with an entry in the visitor book that reads ‘Wonderful museum! Thank you for the visit.’”
Flying the Stars & Stripes
Dave Williamson, Chairman, The Scottish Flag Trust, said: “The Flag Trust enjoys close ties with St Andrew Societies across North America and we welcome many US visitors to Athelstaneford each year. It was appropriate therefore to extend a special welcome to the U.S. Consul General on the morning of her visit by having the Stars & Stripes hoisted in the Kirkyard.”
At Glenkinchie Distillery, Ms Porter enjoyed a short tour of the production process and heard about the history of whisky making in East Lothian before going on to tour the Edinburgh Innovation HUB at Queen Margaret University.
The £40m 7,200 sqm Edinburgh Innovation HUB is a joint venture between East Lothian Council and Queen Margaret University. It will comprise flexible laboratory, office and fully equipped meeting and conference spaces for rent by high growth small to medium enterprises. The Hub will support and grow businesses driven by innovation, knowledge exchange and technology, bringing together research, industry and academia under one roof, creating opportunities for synergies and knowledge-sharing.
The venture is supported by £28.6 million from the UK Government, £1.4 million from the Scottish Government and £10 million from East Lothian Council as part of the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal (ESES City Region Deal).
During her visit, Ms Porter met with East Lothian Council Chief Executive Monica Patterson to discuss cultural, tourism, and economic opportunities between East Lothian and the USA.
Dynamic and thriving economy
Monica Patterson said: “We were delighted to welcome the Consul General to East Lothian. The visit highlighted the importance of our cultural and economic connections with the United States. This engagement opens doors for future collaboration and strengthens our commitment to growing a dynamic and thriving economy that enables our people and communities to flourish. We were particularly pleased to be able to show Ms Porter the Innovation HUB, which represents a significant opportunity for inward investment in the region and will support innovative business startup and growth.”
Provost John McMillan added: “East Lothian Council and its partners look forward to continuing the dialogue initiated during this visit and exploring new opportunities for collaboration that will benefit the local communities and economy as well as our international partners.”