Dalkeith was originally founded around a castle in the twelfth century. From there a town grew outwards, ending up in its current incarnation with more than ten thousand citizens. Dalkeith is one of a small cluster of towns which are often collectively referred to as simply 'Dalkeith': the others are Eskbank, Woodburn and Newbattle.
Dalkeith is commonly thought of as a commuter or dormitory town for Edinburgh, which is easily accessible to the north via strong rail, road or bus links. Certainly anybody looking for a place to live which has good access to the capital city will not be disappointed with flats in Dalkeith. Facilities in Dalkeith itself include Dalkeith Thistle football team, who are affectionately supported by locals despite – or perhaps partially because of – a notable lack of success.
Dalkeith's history has contained some notable incidents. In 1650, it was effectively made into the capital of Scotland: William Cromwell stationed his officer General Monck there, and appointed Monck as his Commander in Scotland. Centuries later, in 1879, Dalkeith became the location for William Gladstone's campaign to become elected as Prime Minister; this cubsequently became known as 'The Midlothian Campaign'.