FORMER East Lothian MP John Home Robertson is backing a bid to brew medieval beer by growing ancient crops on the fields of a famous battle.

The Battle of Prestonpans Trust has launched a bid to take over the lease of agricultural fields by offering £1 above the rent requested.

The trust lost out to sprouts when the fields were first offered for lease by East Lothian Council two years ago after it tendered a bid below the asking price.

This time around, the annual rent has doubled from £5,000 to £10,000 and the trust is ready to offer £10,001.

And it has revealed ambitious plans to join up with a local farmer and Mr Home Robertson to grow bere crops on part of the fields to make beer at a local brewery.

The council took ownership of four fields covering 45 acres of agricultural land when it bought the former Cockenzie Power Station site and surrounding land in 2018.

READ MORE: Sprouts are out

One of the fields is recognised by the battle trust as the burial site for soldiers from the historic Jacobite victory in 1745 and it has been keen to farm it for a number of years, recreating traditional harvest from the 18th century.

When it lost out to a Brussels sprouts farmer two years ago, the trust hit out at the council for putting profit ahead of heritage in its decision.

Now the fields are up for lease again and the council is asking for a new crop to be introduced on three of the fields, with the fourth initially lying fallow.

The trust, which works to protect, promote and interpret the Battle of Prestonpans, said it had secured donor underwriting of the sum of £10,001.

A spokesperson said: “The trust’s commitment to agriculture stems from the use of the land in 1745 – the battle took place just after the harvest had been taken in.

“Working in partnership with local experts, the trust’s tender includes a proposal to grow the spring barley that was cropped in 1745 and/or vining peas, alongside a bold initiative to include a modest crop of bere.

“It will be used for beer making at the microbrewery at the Prestoungrange Gothenburg.”

Bere is medieval barley that is thought to have been introduced by the Vikings.

Mr Home Robertson,  a trustee of the trust and retired farmer, has pioneered the reintroduction of bere in the Borders in recent years and will be closely involved with this initiative.

The trust said it would also be working in partnership with Jim Meikle, who farms from East Linton.

Spring barley would provide grain for livestock feed or malting for the distilling industry, whereas bere would be used in local brewing.

The traditional crops would provide an opportunity to engage with local schools and youth groups, as well as the chance to stimulate increased interest in agriculture as a career choice and foster knowledge of local food sourcing.

The trust would seek to undertake traditional 18th-century harvesting with the creation of stooks and celebrations of the harvest festival Lùnastal or winter’s Fèis Foghair.

Historically in the Lothians, rival groups of young men constructed towers of sods topped with their flag and at Lùnastal they met each other in battle.

Dr Gordon Prestoungrange, joint chair of  the trust, said: “Ensuring that this historic landscape continues to be cropped and used for food production assists in preserving its authenticity for anyone visiting and interpreting the site in years to come.

“It’s also an opportunity for further engagement with local schools and communities as we seek to show traditional and modern food production – and some of the customs that have sprung from that.”

The trust’s application has been submitted to East Lothian Council, with the deadline for submissions February 19.

The Battle of Prestonpans was the first major battle of the last Jacobite Rising.

The battle took place in fields between Prestonpans, Tranent, Cockenzie and Port Seton in East Lothian.

The victory was a huge morale boost for the Jacobites and, despite their ultimate defeat the following year, the battle left an important cultural legacy.

In recent years, the trust has installed new monuments to the fallen, commissioned major tapestries, opened a micro-museum, and developed on-site and digital interpretation for the battlefield, whilst touring its exhibitions around the world.

The trust is working towards the launch of a world-class living history centre by 2027 on the battlefield site as a way of permanently institutionalising this activity and creating a statue of Jacobite leader Bonnie Prince Charlie.