and various public works, such as the acquisition and improvement of Houndwood cemetery in 1901. Civil parishes in Scotland, as units of local government, were abolished in 1929 but have been used later for census and other purposes. In 1891 a Boundary Commission transferred a detached portion of Oldhamstocks parish, namely Butterdean, to Coldingham. It was already in Berwickshire, despite its mother parish being in East Lothian. The civil parish has an area of and a population of 1,919 (in 2011). Village The settlement of Coldingham has a population of 563 (in 2011). Nearby Coldingham Bay has a sandy secluded beach popular with surfers, with rows of beach huts. Monastery There was a monastery of high order on this site as early as AD 660 when it is recorded that Etheldreda, the queen of Egfrid, became a nun at the Monastery of Coldingham, then under the management of Æbbe, the Elder, aunt of her husband. Bede describes it as "the Monastery of Virgins" and states that in 679, the monastery burnt down. It was rebuilt but was again destroyed by fire at the hands of a raiding party of Danes in 870. This time the ruins were not rebuilt, it would appear, until 1098, when King Edgar founded the Priory of Coldingham in honour of St. Cuthbert of Lindisfarne. It became the caput for the Barony of Coldingham, with the prior as the feudal lord. The priory continued in its religious purposes until 1560, when it was partially destroyed during the Scottish Reformation. However, a portion of it continued its religious activities until 1650, when it was fortified against Oliver Cromwell. After a siege of two days, the main tower in which the besieged defended themselves was so shattered by artillery that they were forced to capitulate. This great tower of the original priory finally collapsed about 1777. The ruins of about 40% of the original priory church were rebuilt in 1855; it is today used as the parish church and is the most notable building in the parish. Gallery See also List of places in the Scottish Borders List of places in East Lothian List of places in Edinburgh List of places in Midlothian List of places in West Lothian List of places in Scotland Coldingham Priory Coldingham Bay Prior of Coldingham Prior of Durham References History of the Priory of Coldingham by William King Hunter, Edinburgh & London,