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Biel is a village in East Lothian, Scotland, UK, to the south of Dunbar, off the B6370 road. It is situated on the Biel Estate, close to Biel House.

Biel
Entrance pillars to Biel, East Lothian
Biel Show map of East Lothian Biel Location within Scotland Show map of Scotland
OS grid reference	NT634759
Civil parish	Stenton
Council area	East Lothian Council
Lieutenancy area	East Lothian
Country	Scotland
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	DUNBAR
Postcode district	EH42
Dialling code	01368
Police	Scotland
Fire	Scottish
Ambulance	Scottish
UK Parliament	East Lothian
Scottish Parliament	East Lothian
List of places UK Scotland 55.975°N 2.585°W / 55.975; -2.585

Placename

The word 'biel', 'beil' or 'bel' means "shelter", as in Belton, Belhaven, Bilsdean, or as in Robert Lauder of Beilmouth.

History

Archaeologists from Glasgow University found the remains of a small farmstead over 2000 years old, possibly with a palisade surrounding a roundhouse.

The Biel estate was originally owned by the Earls of Dunbar, then by Robert Lauder of The Bass. Sir James Hamilton, Sheriff of Lanark, bought Biel in 1641.

William Hamilton Nisbet succeeded to the Biel lands and made Biel House his residence. It is a 12th-century tower house, off the B6370, and a member of the Historic Houses Association.

Biel House

The present Biel House is a 16th-century three-storey listed building, formerly owned by the Earls of Belhaven. William Atkinson extended it in 1814–1818, and in the early twentieth century, further interior alterations were made by R.R.Anderson. The grounds include a chapel, rock garden, doocot, summerhouse, gatepiers, deer park, woodland, arboretum, kitchen garden, glasshouses.

Biel Water (Biel Burn)

The Biel Water, locally known as the Biel Burn, flows through the Biel Estate, and Biel Mill is situated in a woodland.

The Biel Burn Flood of 1948 is still remembered by local residents. The latest flooding incident occurred in 2007.

Photo gallery

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See also

• List of places in East Lothian

References

• Historic Scotland - Architecture and Gardens of Biel House
• Biel Burn flood

External links

• Canmore - Biel site record
• Canmore - Fairy Knowe site record

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