- Women only
- Friendship, not dating
- Free to join
- Local guide
- October 20, 2026
Make Friends in Musselburgh, by the harbour and the river
Musselburgh has a golf course where play was recorded in 1672 and a riverside walk with its own trail of murals.
21,400+
residents in the Musselburgh locality at Scotland’s Census 2022 (NRS)
11.9%
growth in East Lothian’s population from 2015 to 2025, second only to Midlothian among Scotland’s 32 council areas and well ahead of 3.6% nationally (NRS)
17.2%
of people in East Lothian are under 16, compared with 15.8% in Scotland (NRS mid-2025 figures)
Musselburgh starts on a Tuesday morning
To make friends in Musselburgh, start with something that repeats and turn up more than once. Musselburgh Library on Bridge Street runs Craft with Company on Tuesday mornings from 10am, and everyone brings a project of their own, while Musselburgh Sports Centre offers swimming, gym sessions and fitness classes. Eskmuthe Community Rowing Club takes coastal boats out from Fisherrow Harbour. Gofrendly lists Musselburgh women who also want a regular plan.
Four things people ask about Musselburgh
When does the library in Musselburgh shut for lunch?
On Mondays, Musselburgh Library at 10 Bridge Street is open until 7pm; on the other weekdays it closes at 5pm, with a lunch break between 1pm and 2pm. On Saturdays it opens from 10am to 4pm without a break, with no Sunday opening.
How old is the golf course in Musselburgh?
Musselburgh Links, the Old Course, has records of golf being played there on 2 March 1672, and its operator describes it as one of the oldest golf courses in the world still in play. Racing has a long history in the town too, with the racecourse dating back to 1816.
Which parkrun can you reach easily from Musselburgh?
The closest parkrun to Musselburgh is Portobello parkrun in Figgate Park on Baileyfield Road, under 5km away, which starts at 9.30am every Saturday. Meadowmill parkrun at Meadowmill Sports Centre near Tranent, a little further east, keeps the same start time on a mix of trail, tarmac and grass.
How do I meet other women in Musselburgh?
Gofrendly is a women-only friendship app where you can see women living in and around Musselburgh and message those with similar plans. Inveresk Lodge Garden, open every day from 10am with adult entry at £3.50, makes a calm spot for a first walk together.
How Musselburgh friendships take shape
Musselburgh is a coastal town with a harbour at Fisherrow and the River Esk running through it, and the council area around it has grown faster than all but one other in Scotland over the past ten years. That growth is worth keeping in mind when you join a group, because the person beside you may be new as well. East Lothian also has a higher share of under-16s than the country as a whole, so if school hours shape your week, look at the morning library sessions, and if they do not, try the Saturday slots.
Waiting for friendships to arrive on their own can be lonely, which is why it pays to put one fixed thing in the diary. The River Esk Walkway has a murals trail and, if you are lucky, herons and kingfishers, and the bird hides at Levenhall Links are built so that everyone can use them. A few starting points:
1
Craft with Company at Musselburgh Library, Tuesdays from 10am.
2
Fitness classes or a swim at Musselburgh Sports Centre.
3
A coastal row with Eskmuthe from Fisherrow Harbour.
4
The murals trail on the River Esk Walkway.
5
Portobello parkrun in Figgate Park, Saturdays at 9.30am.
LOCAL TIP
When the rowers at Fisherrow wave you over to help carry the boat, Musselburgh has started to count you in.
How to
Meet people in Musselburgh with these four steps
1
Bring your knitting or sketchbook to Craft with Company at the library on Bridge Street on a Tuesday morning.
2
Ask Eskmuthe Community Rowing Club about a first outing from Fisherrow Harbour.
3
Volunteer at Meadowmill parkrun near Tranent, where 23 volunteers helped on 17 October 2026.
4
Message a Musselburgh woman through Gofrendly about walking the John Muir Way along the promenade.
Worth a look after this
Musselburgh, from our editorial desk
Gofrendly founders Claudia Gård and Ulrika Lilja put this Musselburgh page into words with our editorial colleagues, and it follows the craft table, the harbour and the river paths that give the Honest Toun its regular meeting places.
Friendship looks different at every stage
More guides for women in this area – each with its own local advice.
Friendship looks different at every stage
More guides for women in this area – each with its own local advice.
Find women near you
See who’s nearby and say hi — it’s free to start.