[3] A local fairy tale offers a more fantastical origin for the name, tracing it back to an elf who was imprisoned in stone by a witch whom he had crossed.

[4] The Protestant reformer George Wishart was brought to Elphinstone by Patrick Hepburn, 3rd Earl of Bothwell en route to St Andrews where he was tried and burned at the stake on 1 March 1546.

[5] Between 2011 and 2018 the population of the village increased from 520 to 590[6] and it has basic amenities, including a primary school, a community centre, a newsagent, and a miners welfare club.

[9] Mines owned by the Edinburgh Colliery Company, Limited were formerly the main employer in the village.

[citation needed] Elphinstone Tower Farm produces cereal crops.