MEMBERS of the public can now enjoy learning more about Musselburgh’s heritage by following a trail of arrows around the town.

Made of stainless steel, they are part of a public art initiative which saw the Musselburgh Archer bronze sculpture installed at the Roman Bridge on the east bank of the River Esk.

Along with a map, the arrows lead locals and visitors to the Honest Toun’s cultural, historical, natural and community attractions.

Members of the community have helped create three digital treasure trails of varying lengths around the Musselburgh Arrow Trail, which can be found on the tourism app Global Treasure Trails, which can be downloaded from Google Play or the App Store.

The map of the route, along with more information about the project, can also be accessed by downloading the PDF of a new leaflet from East Lothian Council’s website at bit.ly/3mhGLS1

The treasure trails guide users with GPS and maps, with accompanying pictures, audio and video clips. This interactive experience keeps the person engaged by asking multiple choice questions which can be answered by visiting each arrow trail location.

The archer project started when East Lothian Council’s arts service brought together a working group to select and commission an artist to create a new public artwork for the town.

The group included representatives from Musselburgh Area Partnership, the community council, Musselburgh Conservation Group, community members, council officers and councillors.

The artwork was funded by Tesco as part of East Lothian Council’s percent for art policy.

Artists Svetlana Kondakova and Maja Quille were awarded £38,000 for the commission.

The lifesize archer figure represents layers of local history, including the Roman invasion in AD 80, Battle of Pinkie Cleugh in 1547 and the Musselburgh Silver Arrow, which dates back to 1603 and is claimed to be the oldest sporting trophy in the world.

The artwork is now completed, with the series of stainless steel arrows installed at different locations around Musselburgh.

To support the public’s enjoyment of the archer and the arrows, Musselburgh Area Partnership commissioned the Global Treasure Trails app.

A spokesperson for East Lothian Council said: “The arts service implements the council’s public art policy. This aims to encourage the development of a high-quality environment for people who live and/or work in East Lothian.”