Dirleton Castle
Encyclopedia
Dirleton Castle is a medieval fortress in the village of Dirleton
, East Lothian
, Scotland
. It lies around 2 miles (3.2 km) west of North Berwick
, and around 19 miles (30.6 km) east of Edinburgh
. The oldest parts of the castle date to the 13th century, and it was abandoned by the end of the 17th century.
Begun in around 1240 by John De Vaux, the castle was heavily damaged during the Wars of Scottish Independence
, when it was twice taken by the English. In the 14th century, Dirleton was repaired by the Haliburton family, and it was acquired by the Ruthvens
in 1505. The Ruthvens were involved in several plots against Mary, Queen of Scots, and King James VI
, and eventually forfeited the castle in 1600. Dirleton ceased to be a residence, although Oliver Cromwell
was forced to besiege the castle to flush out a band of mosstroopers, during the Third English Civil War
in 1650. The damaged castle was then acquired by John Nisbet, Lord Dirleton
, who decided to build a new country house on the nearby Archerfield Estate. The Nisbet family of Dirleton continued to maintain the castle's gardens, before handing Dirleton into state care in 1923. The ruins and gardens are now maintained by Historic Scotland
.
Dirleton Castle stands on a rocky outcrop, at the heart of the rich agricultural lands of the former barony of Dirleton, and guards the coastal approach to Edinburgh from England, via the port of North Berwick. The ruins comprise a 13th-century keep, and a 16th-century house which the Ruthvens built adjacent. Only the basement levels survive of the 14th- and 15th-century additions built by the Haliburtons, although these comprised a large hall and tower house along the east range. Other buildings within the courtyard have also been demolished. Surrounding the castle are gardens, which may have been first laid out in the 16th century, although the present planting is largely of the 20th century. The garden walls enclose a 16th-century doocot
, or pigeon house.
family of de Vaux originated in Rouen
, northern France
, and settled in England following the Norman Conquest of 1066. Two de Vaux brothers, or cousins, were among a number of Anglo-Norman knights invited to Scotland, and granted land, by King David I of Scotland
in the 12th century. Hubert de Vaux was given the barony of Gilsland
in Cumbria
, at that time part of Scotland, while John de Vaux was granted the barony of Dirleton. John built a castle at Eldbotle, probably to the north-west of modern Dirleton, and another, named Tarbet Castle, on the island of Fidra
, although neither survives.
In 1220, Fidra was gifted to the monks of Dryburgh Abbey
by William de Vaux. William's son, another John, had been held hostage in England as surety for the good conduct of King William the Lion
in 1213, and succeeded to the barony in the 1220s. He then began the construction of a replacement for Tarbet at Dirleton, which was recorded as a "castellum" in 1225, although this may refer to an earlier timber structure. In 1239, de Vaux was appointed seneschal
, or steward, to Marie de Coucy
, on her marriage to King Alexander II
. Marie de Coucy was the daughter of Enguerrand III, Lord of Coucy
(d.1242), builder of the Château de Coucy
, in Picardy
(c.1220s), which probably served as a model for Dirleton. The 13th-century stone castle, of which only the donjon, or keep
, remains, represented a show of de Vaux's status, and would have required peaceful times to permit a prolonged construction project.
Peaceful times ended in 1296, with the outbreak of the Wars of Scottish Independence
. Dirleton, which guarded the route between Edinburgh and the English border, changed hands several times through the invasions of the English under King Edward I
. During the campaign of summer 1298, the castle was besieged by English forces under Antony Bek, the Bishop of Durham. Dirleton withstood the assault for several months, until the English victory at Falkirk
allowed them to bring up large siege engine
s, after which the castle was soon reduced. Dirleton was garrisoned by the English, but must have been retaken by the Scots before 1306, when the English commander Aymer de Valence, 2nd Earl of Pembroke
recaptured Dirleton once more. It was finally retaken by the Scots some time before 1314, and was slighted
, or deliberately damaged, to prevent its reuse by the English.
, during his brief rebellion against King David II
, although it was later returned to the Haliburtons. In the 1420s, Sir Walter Haliburton
(d. before 1447) acted as a hostage in exchange for the release of King James I
, who had been held captive by the English since 1406. He was rewarded in 1439 by being appointed Treasurer of Scotland
. Either Walter, or his eldest son John (d. before 1454), was ennobled as a Lord of Parliament
in the 1440s, with the title Lord Dirletoun. The Haliburtons carried out extensive works at Dirleton, heightening the original towers, and constructing a new gatehouse to the south-east. A large hall and tower house
were added to the castle in the 15th century, forming the east range. King James IV
visited Dirleton in 1505, and gave money to the masons then engaged on works in the north-east part of the castle. Later that year, Patrick, the last Haliburton of Dirleton, died, and his estates were divided among his three daughters, Janet, Margaret, and Mariotta
.
The eldest daughter, Janet, married William Ruthven, 2nd Lord Ruthven
(d. 1552) in 1515, and the castle and lordship of Dirleton passed to the Ruthven family. The son of William and Janet, Patrick, 3rd Lord Ruthven
(c. 1520-1566), was one of the leaders of the group who murdered David Riccio, private secretary to Mary, Queen of Scots, in 1566. Patrick was forced to flee to England, where he died, leaving Dirleton to his son William
(c. 1541-1584), who was created Earl of Gowrie
in 1581. Lord Gowrie led a plot, later known as the Raid of Ruthven
, in which the 16-year-old King James VI
was seized, in August 1582. Ruthven then ruled in the king's name, while James was held captive. Although Gowrie was pardoned the following year, he was executed in 1584 for his part in another plot to seize Stirling Castle
, and his lands were forfeited to the crown. A keen amateur arboriculturalist
, Lord Gowrie is thought to have laid out the gardens at Dirleton, and planted numerous trees.
James VI granted Dirleton to the Earl of Arran
, who entertained the King there in 1585. The following year, the castle was restored to Lady Dorothea, widow of the first Earl, and by 1600 had passed to John Ruthven, 3rd Earl of Gowrie
(c. 1577-1600), their second son. However, in August that year, in an event known as the "Gowrie Conspiracy", Lord Gowrie and his younger brother were killed attempting to kidnap or assassinate James VI at Perth
. Lord Gowrie is said to have persuaded Robert Logan of Restalrig
to join the plot by offering, as a bribe, Dirleton Castle, which Logan described as "the pleasantest dwelling in Scotland". However, the failure of the plot led to the attainder of the Ruthven family, and the castle was forfeited once again. Dirleton was granted to Thomas Erskine of Gogar
, who had killed Lord Gowrie and helped to save the King, although Lady Dorothea was permitted to live there until her death in 1605, after which the castle ceased to be a noble residence. Erskine was later created the 1st Earl of Kellie
, but sold the castle to Sir James Douglas in 1625. Douglas sold it on to Alexander Morieson of Prestongrange
, who sold it in turn, in 1631, to James Maxwell of Innerwick
(d. c. 1650), who was created Earl of Dirletoun
in 1646.
's army invaded Scotland in 1650, during the Third English Civil War
, and defeated the Scots Royalists at Dunbar
on 3 September. With this victory, Cromwell gained effective control of southern Scotland, but bands of Royalist moss-trooper
s continued to harry the English supply lines. One such band was based at Dirleton, and Cromwell ordered General Monck
and General Lambert
, with 1,600 troops, to capture the castle. This was achieved on 10 November, using mortar
s to destroy the drawbridge
and inner gate. The captain of the moss-troopers was hanged
from the walls with two of his comrades. The castle was slighted once more, and although briefly used as a field hospital
, it was then left to decay. The German soldier and Engineer responsible for Cromwell's effective use of Artillery was a Major Joachim Hane. He also designed fortresses near Inverness and in Ayr. Mortar proved so effective that it caused the besieged troops at Stirling Castle to mutiny. Major Hane can also be found leading a 'forlorn' at Gladsmuir, prior to the Battle of Dunbar and later spending a year, spying for Cromwell's Secretary Of State, Thurloe.
(c. 1609-1687) in 1663. Nisbet, who took the title Lord Dirleton when he was appointed as a judge, built a new house at Archerfield
, to the north-west of the village. The Nisbets continued to maintain the gardens around the castle as part of the park around Archerfield, and installed the bowling green. The 19th-century garden walls were added by Mary Nisbet
, Lady Elgin (1778–1855), wife of the Earl of Elgin
, as part of a "beautification" of Dirleton village. In the mid-19th century, two new parterre
s were laid out by the head gardener, David Thompson. Although neither survived, the west garden was restored, based on 19th century plans, in 1993. The north garden was replaced in the 1920s with an Arts and Crafts
-style garden of herbaceous border
s. Also in the 1920s, the castle was passed in to state care, and is now maintained by Historic Scotland
, an agency of the Scottish Government.
The castle and grounds are protected as a Scheduled Ancient Monument
, while the gardens appear on the Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes in Scotland, the national register of historic gardens. The castle, doocot, and boundary walls are Category A listed buildings, the highest level of protection for a historic building in Scotland.
, or dressed stone blocks. Internally, the original use of the rooms is difficult to interpret, although the round towers may have served as private suites for Lord Dirleton and his Lady. The large tower contains a six-sided chamber at ground level, possibly a kitchen, with a seven-sided main chamber above. This room has a pointed vaulted
ceiling, window seats in the large windows around the south wall, and a carved fireplace at the north. To the east is a postern
, or side door, and beyond is a well. Adjacent to the well is a floor hatch, which would have allowed food to be transferred directly from the kitchen to a servery above. A room in the square tower to the west, possibly the lord's bedroom, has holes in the ceiling to allow smoke from brazier
s to escape. The more ruined west round tower probably contained another hall, with chambers above and storage below. In the 17th century, the top of the main round tower was lowered and remodelled to form a gun platform.
Only fragments of the rest of the 13th century castle remain. A fourth tower, where the Ruthven lodging now stands, may have completed the "cluster keep". Bases of round towers at the south-east and north-east corners of the castle are visible below the later walls. Parts of the north-west wall are 13th century work, as is the blocked postern in the basement of the east range. The overall plan of the castle, however, was not greatly changed through later rebuilding work. Dirleton is the earliest dated example in Scotland of a castle with round towers that project beyond the curtain wall, as opposed to those at Dunstaffnage
, for example, where the towers are contained within the walls. This new form was subsequently used in other 13th-century Scottish castles, including Bothwell
and Kildrummy
.
. It is fronted by a high, pointed arch, formerly with bartizan
s, small round turrets, at the top. The gate was protected by a drawbridge
over the outer ditch, a portcullis
, and three sets of doors. Guard rooms open off the entrance passage, and a round opening in the roof, known as a "murder hole", allowed defenders to drop objects on to any attacker who breached the outer gate.
The large kitchens occupy the south-east angle of the castle. The 9 metres (29.5 ft) high main kitchen has two 4 metres (13.1 ft) wide fireplaces for cooking, and a circular vent in the vaulted ceiling. Hatches in the floor give access to a well (11.5 metres (37.7 ft) deep) and cellars below. The adjacent passage linked the kitchen to the hall in the east range.
The east range itself runs the length of the east side of the castle,and originally comprised a large hall, with a square tower house at the north-east corner. Although only the basement survives, this once formed one of the finest noble residences of its time in Scotland, and would have been similar to the contemporary buildings at Doune Castle
. The basement is a single tunnel vault, with low walls subdividing the area into stores. Two large ovens and a well lie at the south end, while at the east is the 13th-century postern, blocked when the wall was thickened to support the new buildings above, and re-used as a fireplace. At the north end of the basement is a vaulted prison for freemen, and below this, a rock-cut pit, 3 metres (9.8 ft) square, to house prisoners of the peasant classes. Above the prison, but still within the basement, is a vaulted chapel with various ceremonial recesses, such as a sacristy
and a piscina
, or water basin. A private chamber for the priest is next door. The hall above is 22 metres (72.2 ft) by 7.5 metres (24.6 ft), and once had a high timber roof, and a minstrel's gallery at the south end. An ornately-carved stone buffet, or cupboard, is located on this wall, which formed part of the servery next to the kitchen. At the north-east corner of the castle, a tower house provided accommodation for the Lord's family and guests. Again, only the lowest floor remains, above the chapel. This probably formed a private chamber for the Lord, and was connected to the adjacent hall.
trees, which may once have formed a hedge around a parterre
in this area. West of the bowling green is a flower garden, laid out in 1993 to an 18th-century design, and containing yew, cedar, monkey puzzle
and Lawson's cypress
trees. To the north is the 1920s Arts and Crafts
garden, which is home to a 215 metres (705.4 ft) -long herbaceous border
, and is overlooked by a castellated 19th-century gazebo, or summer house. The border is recognised by the Guinness Book of Records as being the longest in the world. The rest of the gardens comprise lawns, with numerous mature specimen trees, including redwood, beech, and sycamore.
There is a well preserved 16th-century beehive-shaped doocot, or pigeon house, in the castle grounds. The doocot is 7.6 metres (24.9 ft) high, and contains around 1000 nesting boxes for pigeons, which were an important source of food for the castle's inhabitants. To the north-east, now located outside the castle gardens, is a 16th-century gateway which formerly served the castle, but now serves the adjacent farm.
Dirleton
Dirleton is a village and parish in East Lothian, Scotland approximately east of Edinburgh on the A198. It contains . Dirleton lies between North Berwick , Gullane , Fenton Barns and the Yellowcraigs nature reserve, Archerfield Estate and the Firth of Forth...
, East Lothian
East Lothian
East Lothian is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, and a lieutenancy Area. It borders the City of Edinburgh, Scottish Borders and Midlothian. Its administrative centre is Haddington, although its largest town is Musselburgh....
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. It lies around 2 miles (3.2 km) west of North Berwick
North Berwick
The Royal Burgh of North Berwick is a seaside town in East Lothian, Scotland. It is situated on the south shore of the Firth of Forth, approximately 25 miles east of Edinburgh. North Berwick became a fashionable holiday resort in the 19th century because of its two sandy bays, the East Bay and the...
, and around 19 miles (30.6 km) east of Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
. The oldest parts of the castle date to the 13th century, and it was abandoned by the end of the 17th century.
Begun in around 1240 by John De Vaux, the castle was heavily damaged during the Wars of Scottish Independence
Wars of Scottish Independence
The Wars of Scottish Independence were a series of military campaigns fought between the independent Kingdom of Scotland and the Kingdom of England in the late 13th and early 14th centuries....
, when it was twice taken by the English. In the 14th century, Dirleton was repaired by the Haliburton family, and it was acquired by the Ruthvens
Earl of Gowrie
Earl of Gowrie is a title that has been created twice, once in the Peerage of Scotland and once in the Peerage of the United Kingdom, both times for members of the Ruthven family. It takes its name from Gowrie, a historical region and ancient province of Scotland. On 23 August 1581 William Ruthven,...
in 1505. The Ruthvens were involved in several plots against Mary, Queen of Scots, and King James VI
James I of England
James VI and I was King of Scots as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the English and Scottish crowns on 24 March 1603...
, and eventually forfeited the castle in 1600. Dirleton ceased to be a residence, although Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell was an English military and political leader who overthrew the English monarchy and temporarily turned England into a republican Commonwealth, and served as Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland....
was forced to besiege the castle to flush out a band of mosstroopers, during the Third English Civil War
Third English Civil War
The Third English Civil War was the last of the English Civil Wars , a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists....
in 1650. The damaged castle was then acquired by John Nisbet, Lord Dirleton
John Nisbet, Lord Dirleton
John Nisbet, Lord Dirleton was a Scottish judge.Admitted as an advocate in 1633, he was sheriff-depute of Edinburghshire from 1639. He defended James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose in 1641. He was appointed Lord Advocate and raised to the bench with the judicial title Lord Dirleton in 1664. He...
, who decided to build a new country house on the nearby Archerfield Estate. The Nisbet family of Dirleton continued to maintain the castle's gardens, before handing Dirleton into state care in 1923. The ruins and gardens are now maintained by Historic Scotland
Historic Scotland
Historic Scotland is an executive agency of the Scottish Government, responsible for historic monuments in Scotland.-Role:As its website states:...
.
Dirleton Castle stands on a rocky outcrop, at the heart of the rich agricultural lands of the former barony of Dirleton, and guards the coastal approach to Edinburgh from England, via the port of North Berwick. The ruins comprise a 13th-century keep, and a 16th-century house which the Ruthvens built adjacent. Only the basement levels survive of the 14th- and 15th-century additions built by the Haliburtons, although these comprised a large hall and tower house along the east range. Other buildings within the courtyard have also been demolished. Surrounding the castle are gardens, which may have been first laid out in the 16th century, although the present planting is largely of the 20th century. The garden walls enclose a 16th-century doocot
Dovecote
A dovecote or dovecot is a structure intended to house pigeons or doves. Dovecotes may be square or circular free-standing structures or built into the end of a house or barn. They generally contain pigeonholes for the birds to nest. Pigeons and doves were an important food source historically in...
, or pigeon house.
de Vaux
The NormanNormans
The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
family of de Vaux originated in Rouen
Rouen
Rouen , in northern France on the River Seine, is the capital of the Haute-Normandie region and the historic capital city of Normandy. Once one of the largest and most prosperous cities of medieval Europe , it was the seat of the Exchequer of Normandy in the Middle Ages...
, northern France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, and settled in England following the Norman Conquest of 1066. Two de Vaux brothers, or cousins, were among a number of Anglo-Norman knights invited to Scotland, and granted land, by King David I of Scotland
David I of Scotland
David I or Dabíd mac Maíl Choluim was a 12th-century ruler who was Prince of the Cumbrians and later King of the Scots...
in the 12th century. Hubert de Vaux was given the barony of Gilsland
Gilsland
Gilsland is a village in northern England about west of Hexham, and about east of Carlisle, which straddles the border between Cumbria and Northumberland...
in Cumbria
Cumbria
Cumbria , is a non-metropolitan county in North West England. The county and Cumbria County Council, its local authority, came into existence in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972. Cumbria's largest settlement and county town is Carlisle. It consists of six districts, and in...
, at that time part of Scotland, while John de Vaux was granted the barony of Dirleton. John built a castle at Eldbotle, probably to the north-west of modern Dirleton, and another, named Tarbet Castle, on the island of Fidra
Fidra
Fidra is an uninhabited island in the Firth of Forth, north-west of North Berwick, on the east coast of Scotland.-Geography:...
, although neither survives.
In 1220, Fidra was gifted to the monks of Dryburgh Abbey
Dryburgh Abbey
Dryburgh Abbey, near Dryburgh on the banks of the River Tweed in the Scottish Borders, was nominally founded on 10 November 1150 in an agreement between Hugh de Morville, Lord of Lauderdale and Constable of Scotland, and the Premonstratensian canons regular from Alnwick Abbey in Northumberland...
by William de Vaux. William's son, another John, had been held hostage in England as surety for the good conduct of King William the Lion
William I of Scotland
William the Lion , sometimes styled William I, also known by the nickname Garbh, "the Rough", reigned as King of the Scots from 1165 to 1214...
in 1213, and succeeded to the barony in the 1220s. He then began the construction of a replacement for Tarbet at Dirleton, which was recorded as a "castellum" in 1225, although this may refer to an earlier timber structure. In 1239, de Vaux was appointed seneschal
Seneschal
A seneschal was an officer in the houses of important nobles in the Middle Ages. In the French administrative system of the Middle Ages, the sénéchal was also a royal officer in charge of justice and control of the administration in southern provinces, equivalent to the northern French bailli...
, or steward, to Marie de Coucy
Marie de Coucy
Marie de Coucy was the daughter of Enguerrand III, Lord of Coucy and his third wife Marie de Montmirel . She was Queen consort of the Kingdom of Scotland.- Biography :...
, on her marriage to King Alexander II
Alexander II of Scotland
Alexander II was King of Scots from1214 to his death.-Early life:...
. Marie de Coucy was the daughter of Enguerrand III, Lord of Coucy
Enguerrand III, Lord of Coucy
Enguerrand III, Lord of Coucy was the eldest son and successor of Ralph I, Lord of Coucy. He succeeded as Lord of Coucy in 1191, and held it until his death; he was also lord of Marle and Boves....
(d.1242), builder of the Château de Coucy
Château de Coucy
The Château de Coucy is a French castle in the commune of Coucy-le-Château-Auffrique, in the département of Aisne, built in the 13th century and renovated by Viollet-le-Duc in the 19th...
, in Picardy
Picardy
This article is about the historical French province. For other uses, see Picardy .Picardy is a historical province of France, in the north of France...
(c.1220s), which probably served as a model for Dirleton. The 13th-century stone castle, of which only the donjon, or keep
Keep
A keep is a type of fortified tower built within castles during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars have debated the scope of the word keep, but usually consider it to refer to large towers in castles that were fortified residences, used as a refuge of last resort should the rest of the...
, remains, represented a show of de Vaux's status, and would have required peaceful times to permit a prolonged construction project.
Peaceful times ended in 1296, with the outbreak of the Wars of Scottish Independence
Wars of Scottish Independence
The Wars of Scottish Independence were a series of military campaigns fought between the independent Kingdom of Scotland and the Kingdom of England in the late 13th and early 14th centuries....
. Dirleton, which guarded the route between Edinburgh and the English border, changed hands several times through the invasions of the English under King Edward I
Edward I of England
Edward I , also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England from 1272 to 1307. The first son of Henry III, Edward was involved early in the political intrigues of his father's reign, which included an outright rebellion by the English barons...
. During the campaign of summer 1298, the castle was besieged by English forces under Antony Bek, the Bishop of Durham. Dirleton withstood the assault for several months, until the English victory at Falkirk
Battle of Falkirk (1298)
The Battle of Falkirk, which took place on 22 July 1298, was one of the major battles in the First War of Scottish Independence...
allowed them to bring up large siege engine
Siege engine
A siege engine is a device that is designed to break or circumvent city walls and other fortifications in siege warfare. Some have been operated close to the fortifications, while others have been used to attack from a distance. From antiquity, siege engines were constructed largely of wood and...
s, after which the castle was soon reduced. Dirleton was garrisoned by the English, but must have been retaken by the Scots before 1306, when the English commander Aymer de Valence, 2nd Earl of Pembroke
Aymer de Valence, 2nd Earl of Pembroke
Aymer de Valence, 2nd Earl of Pembroke was a Franco-English nobleman. Though primarily active in England, he also had strong connections with the French royal house. One of the wealthiest and most powerful men of his age, he was a central player in the conflicts between Edward II of England and...
recaptured Dirleton once more. It was finally retaken by the Scots some time before 1314, and was slighted
Slighting
A slighting is the deliberate destruction, partial or complete, of a fortification without opposition. During the English Civil War this was to render it unusable as a fort.-Middle Ages:...
, or deliberately damaged, to prevent its reuse by the English.
Haliburton
The castle and lands of Dirleton passed to the Borders family of Haliburton (or Halyburton) when John Haliburton (d.1355) married the heiress of the de Vaux family, shortly before 1350. The castle had been repaired by 1363, when it was seized by William Douglas, 1st Earl of DouglasWilliam Douglas, 1st Earl of Douglas
William Douglas, 1st Earl of Douglas was a Scottish magnate.-Early Life:William Douglas was the son of Sir Archibald Douglas and Beatrice Lindsay, and nephew of "Sir James the Good", Robert the Bruce's trusted deputy...
, during his brief rebellion against King David II
David II of Scotland
David II was King of Scots from 7 June 1329 until his death.-Early life:...
, although it was later returned to the Haliburtons. In the 1420s, Sir Walter Haliburton
Walter de Haliburton, 1st Lord Haliburton of Dirleton
Sir Walter de Haliburton, 1st Lord Haliburton of Dirleton was Lord High Treasurer of Scotland.The eldest son of Sir John Haliburton of Dirleton, East Lothian , by his spouse Margaret, daughter of Sir John Cameron, Sir Walter was one of the hostages for King James I on March 28, 1424 and was...
(d. before 1447) acted as a hostage in exchange for the release of King James I
James I of Scotland
James I, King of Scots , was the son of Robert III and Annabella Drummond. He was probably born in late July 1394 in Dunfermline as youngest of three sons...
, who had been held captive by the English since 1406. He was rewarded in 1439 by being appointed Treasurer of Scotland
Treasurer of Scotland
The Treasurer was a senior post in the pre-Union government of Scotland, the Privy Council of Scotland.The full title of the post was Lord High Treasurer, Comptroller, Collector-General and Treasurer of the New Augmentation, formed as it was from the amalgamation of four earlier offices...
. Either Walter, or his eldest son John (d. before 1454), was ennobled as a Lord of Parliament
Lord of Parliament
A Lord of Parliament was the lowest rank of nobility automatically entitled to attend sessions of the pre-Union Parliament of Scotland. Post-Union, it is a member of the lowest rank of the Peerage of Scotland, ranking below a viscount...
in the 1440s, with the title Lord Dirletoun. The Haliburtons carried out extensive works at Dirleton, heightening the original towers, and constructing a new gatehouse to the south-east. A large hall and tower house
Tower house
A tower house is a particular type of stone structure, built for defensive purposes as well as habitation.-History:Tower houses began to appear in the Middle Ages, especially in mountain or limited access areas, in order to command and defend strategic points with reduced forces...
were added to the castle in the 15th century, forming the east range. King James IV
James IV of Scotland
James IV was King of Scots from 11 June 1488 to his death. He is generally regarded as the most successful of the Stewart monarchs of Scotland, but his reign ended with the disastrous defeat at the Battle of Flodden Field, where he became the last monarch from not only Scotland, but also from all...
visited Dirleton in 1505, and gave money to the masons then engaged on works in the north-east part of the castle. Later that year, Patrick, the last Haliburton of Dirleton, died, and his estates were divided among his three daughters, Janet, Margaret, and Mariotta
Mariotta Haliburton
Mariotta Haliburton, Lady Home, was a 16th-century Scottish noblewoman. She varied the spelling of her forename between Mariotta, Marion, and Mary. She is remembered for her defence and negotiation of the surrender of the Castle of Hume after the Battle of Pinkie.Mariotta was the daughter of...
.
Ruthven
William Ruthven, 2nd Lord Ruthven
William Ruthven, 2nd Lord Ruthven was a Scottish nobleman. He served as an Extraordinary Lord of Session and Keeper of the Privy Seal.-Life:...
(d. 1552) in 1515, and the castle and lordship of Dirleton passed to the Ruthven family. The son of William and Janet, Patrick, 3rd Lord Ruthven
Patrick Ruthven, 3rd Lord Ruthven
Patrick Ruthven, 3rd Lord Ruthven , played an important part in the political intrigues of the 16th century. He succeeded to the lordship in December 1552...
(c. 1520-1566), was one of the leaders of the group who murdered David Riccio, private secretary to Mary, Queen of Scots, in 1566. Patrick was forced to flee to England, where he died, leaving Dirleton to his son William
William Ruthven, 1st Earl of Gowrie
William Ruthven, 1st Earl of Gowrie , known as The Lord Ruthven between 1566 and 1581, was a son of Patrick Ruthven, 3rd Lord Ruthven.-Life account:...
(c. 1541-1584), who was created Earl of Gowrie
Earl of Gowrie
Earl of Gowrie is a title that has been created twice, once in the Peerage of Scotland and once in the Peerage of the United Kingdom, both times for members of the Ruthven family. It takes its name from Gowrie, a historical region and ancient province of Scotland. On 23 August 1581 William Ruthven,...
in 1581. Lord Gowrie led a plot, later known as the Raid of Ruthven
Raid of Ruthven
The Raid of Ruthven was a political conspiracy in Scotland which took place on 22 August 1582. It was composed of several Presbyterian nobles, led by William Ruthven, 1st Earl of Gowrie, who abducted King James VI of Scotland. He was seized while staying at the castle of Ruthven , and kept under...
, in which the 16-year-old King James VI
James I of England
James VI and I was King of Scots as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the English and Scottish crowns on 24 March 1603...
was seized, in August 1582. Ruthven then ruled in the king's name, while James was held captive. Although Gowrie was pardoned the following year, he was executed in 1584 for his part in another plot to seize Stirling Castle
Stirling Castle
Stirling Castle, located in Stirling, is one of the largest and most important castles, both historically and architecturally, in Scotland. The castle sits atop Castle Hill, an intrusive crag, which forms part of the Stirling Sill geological formation. It is surrounded on three sides by steep...
, and his lands were forfeited to the crown. A keen amateur arboriculturalist
Arboriculture
Arboriculture is the cultivation, management, and study of individual trees, shrubs, vines, and other perennial woody plants. It is both a practice and a science....
, Lord Gowrie is thought to have laid out the gardens at Dirleton, and planted numerous trees.
James VI granted Dirleton to the Earl of Arran
James Hamilton, 3rd Earl of Arran
James Hamilton, 3rd Earl of Arran was a Scottish nobleman and soldier who fought against French troops during the Scottish Reformation....
, who entertained the King there in 1585. The following year, the castle was restored to Lady Dorothea, widow of the first Earl, and by 1600 had passed to John Ruthven, 3rd Earl of Gowrie
John Ruthven, 3rd Earl of Gowrie
John Ruthven, 3rd Earl of Gowrie was a Scottish nobleman, the second son of William Ruthven, 1st Earl of Gowrie and his wife Dorothea Stewart...
(c. 1577-1600), their second son. However, in August that year, in an event known as the "Gowrie Conspiracy", Lord Gowrie and his younger brother were killed attempting to kidnap or assassinate James VI at Perth
Perth, Scotland
Perth is a town and former city and royal burgh in central Scotland. Located on the banks of the River Tay, it is the administrative centre of Perth and Kinross council area and the historic county town of Perthshire...
. Lord Gowrie is said to have persuaded Robert Logan of Restalrig
Robert Logan of Restalrig
Sir Robert Logan of Restalrig was a Scottish knight involved in the Gowrie House affair of 1600.The Logan family lived at Lochend Castle near Restalrig, and others of the name had been Provost of Leith...
to join the plot by offering, as a bribe, Dirleton Castle, which Logan described as "the pleasantest dwelling in Scotland". However, the failure of the plot led to the attainder of the Ruthven family, and the castle was forfeited once again. Dirleton was granted to Thomas Erskine of Gogar
Gogar
Gogar is a rural exurb of Edinburgh, Scotland, located to the west of the city. It is not far from Gogarloch, Edinburgh Park and Maybury. The Fife Circle Line is to the north of the city.-History:The name of Gogar first appears on a map in 1233...
, who had killed Lord Gowrie and helped to save the King, although Lady Dorothea was permitted to live there until her death in 1605, after which the castle ceased to be a noble residence. Erskine was later created the 1st Earl of Kellie
Earl of Kellie
The title Earl of Kellie or Kelly is one of the peerage titles of in the Peerage of Scotland, created in 1619 for Sir Thomas Erskine, who was Captain of the Guard and Groom of the Stool for James VI...
, but sold the castle to Sir James Douglas in 1625. Douglas sold it on to Alexander Morieson of Prestongrange
Prestongrange
Prestongrange is a place in East Lothian, Scotland, UK, situated between Musselburgh to the west, and Prestonpans in the east.The placename derives from "Preston", meaning "priest's town", and a grange which was worked by the Cistercian monks of Newbattle Abbey.In the 16th century the Morison...
, who sold it in turn, in 1631, to James Maxwell of Innerwick
Innerwick
Innerwick is a coastal civil parish and small village, which lies in the east of East Lothian, from Dunbar and approximately from Edinburgh....
(d. c. 1650), who was created Earl of Dirletoun
Earl of Dirletoun
The title of Earl of Dirletoun was created for James Maxwell by King Charles I. Lord Dirletoun had no male heirs, and the earldom became extinct on his death. His only daughter married William Hamilton, 2nd Duke of Hamilton.-Earls of Dirletoun :...
in 1646.
Cromwell
Oliver CromwellOliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell was an English military and political leader who overthrew the English monarchy and temporarily turned England into a republican Commonwealth, and served as Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland....
's army invaded Scotland in 1650, during the Third English Civil War
Third English Civil War
The Third English Civil War was the last of the English Civil Wars , a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists....
, and defeated the Scots Royalists at Dunbar
Battle of Dunbar (1650)
The Battle of Dunbar was a battle of the Third English Civil War. The English Parliamentarian forces under Oliver Cromwell defeated a Scottish army commanded by David Leslie which was loyal to King Charles II, who had been proclaimed King of Scots on 5 February 1649.-Background:The English...
on 3 September. With this victory, Cromwell gained effective control of southern Scotland, but bands of Royalist moss-trooper
Moss-trooper
Moss-troopers were bandits who operated in Scotland during and after the period of the English Commonwealth in the mid-17th century.Many moss-troopers were disbanded or deserting soldiers from one of the Scottish armies of the Wars of the Three Kingdoms...
s continued to harry the English supply lines. One such band was based at Dirleton, and Cromwell ordered General Monck
George Monck, 1st Duke of Albemarle
George Monck, 1st Duke of Albemarle, KG was an English soldier and politician and a key figure in the restoration of Charles II.-Early life and career:...
and General Lambert
John Lambert (general)
John Lambert was an English Parliamentary general and politician. He fought during the English Civil War and then in Oliver Cromwell's Scottish campaign , becoming thereafter active in civilian politics until his dismissal by Cromwell in 1657...
, with 1,600 troops, to capture the castle. This was achieved on 10 November, using mortar
Mortar (weapon)
A mortar is an indirect fire weapon that fires explosive projectiles known as bombs at low velocities, short ranges, and high-arcing ballistic trajectories. It is typically muzzle-loading and has a barrel length less than 15 times its caliber....
s to destroy the drawbridge
Drawbridge
A drawbridge is a type of movable bridge typically associated with the entrance of a castle surrounded by a moat. The term is often used to describe all different types of movable bridges, like bascule bridges and lift bridges.-Castle drawbridges:...
and inner gate. The captain of the moss-troopers was hanged
Hanging
Hanging is the lethal suspension of a person by a ligature. The Oxford English Dictionary states that hanging in this sense is "specifically to put to death by suspension by the neck", though it formerly also referred to crucifixion and death by impalement in which the body would remain...
from the walls with two of his comrades. The castle was slighted once more, and although briefly used as a field hospital
Field hospital
A field hospital is a large mobile medical unit that temporarily takes care of casualties on-site before they can be safely transported to more permanent hospital facilities...
, it was then left to decay. The German soldier and Engineer responsible for Cromwell's effective use of Artillery was a Major Joachim Hane. He also designed fortresses near Inverness and in Ayr. Mortar proved so effective that it caused the besieged troops at Stirling Castle to mutiny. Major Hane can also be found leading a 'forlorn' at Gladsmuir, prior to the Battle of Dunbar and later spending a year, spying for Cromwell's Secretary Of State, Thurloe.
Nisbet
Dirleton Castle and estate were purchased, from the widowed Countess of Dirletoun, by the lawyer John NisbetJohn Nisbet, Lord Dirleton
John Nisbet, Lord Dirleton was a Scottish judge.Admitted as an advocate in 1633, he was sheriff-depute of Edinburghshire from 1639. He defended James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose in 1641. He was appointed Lord Advocate and raised to the bench with the judicial title Lord Dirleton in 1664. He...
(c. 1609-1687) in 1663. Nisbet, who took the title Lord Dirleton when he was appointed as a judge, built a new house at Archerfield
Archerfield Estate and Links
Archerfield and Archerfield Links are a country house and pair of golf courses in the parish of Dirleton, East Lothian, Scotland...
, to the north-west of the village. The Nisbets continued to maintain the gardens around the castle as part of the park around Archerfield, and installed the bowling green. The 19th-century garden walls were added by Mary Nisbet
Mary Nisbet
Mary Nisbet, Countess of Elgin was the first wife of British diplomat Thomas Bruce, 7th Earl of Elgin during his term as Ambassador Extraodinare to the Ottoman Empire and one of the most influential and wealthiest heiresses of the late 18th and early 19th century.-Early life:Mary Hamilton Nisbet...
, Lady Elgin (1778–1855), wife of the Earl of Elgin
Thomas Bruce, 7th Earl of Elgin
Thomas Bruce, 7th Earl of Elgin and 11th Earl of Kincardine was a Scottish nobleman and diplomat, known for the removal of marble sculptures from the Parthenon in Athens. Elgin was the second son of Charles Bruce, 5th Earl of Elgin and his wife Martha Whyte...
, as part of a "beautification" of Dirleton village. In the mid-19th century, two new parterre
Parterre
A parterre is a formal garden construction on a level surface consisting of planting beds, edged in stone or tightly clipped hedging, and gravel paths arranged to form a pleasing, usually symmetrical pattern. Parterres need not have any flowers at all...
s were laid out by the head gardener, David Thompson. Although neither survived, the west garden was restored, based on 19th century plans, in 1993. The north garden was replaced in the 1920s with an Arts and Crafts
Arts and Crafts movement
Arts and Crafts was an international design philosophy that originated in England and flourished between 1860 and 1910 , continuing its influence until the 1930s...
-style garden of herbaceous border
Herbaceous border
A herbaceous border is a collection of perennial herbaceous plants arranged closely together, usually to create a dramatic effect through colour, shape or large scale. The term herbaceous border is mostly in use in the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth...
s. Also in the 1920s, the castle was passed in to state care, and is now maintained by Historic Scotland
Historic Scotland
Historic Scotland is an executive agency of the Scottish Government, responsible for historic monuments in Scotland.-Role:As its website states:...
, an agency of the Scottish Government.
The castle and grounds are protected as a Scheduled Ancient Monument
Scheduled Ancient Monument
In the United Kingdom, a scheduled monument is a 'nationally important' archaeological site or historic building, given protection against unauthorized change. The various pieces of legislation used for legally protecting heritage assets from damage and destruction are grouped under the term...
, while the gardens appear on the Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes in Scotland, the national register of historic gardens. The castle, doocot, and boundary walls are Category A listed buildings, the highest level of protection for a historic building in Scotland.
The Barony and Lordship of Dirleton
The Barony and Lordship of Dirleton was re-erected by the Crown for the Benefit of Camilo Agasim-Pereira of Fulwood and Dirleton who is the present Baron and Lord of Dirleton, the younger of Dirleton is Yaalit Naomi Maria Agasim-Pereira of Fulwood, yr of Dirleton.Description
The castle is built on a natural rocky outcrop, on a low ridge overlooking the farmland of East Lothian. It comprises a kite-shaped courtyard, 40 metres (131.2 ft) by 27 metres (88.6 ft), flanked by buildings on the south and east sides. The most substantial remains are the Ruthven Lodging, the gatehouse, and the de Vaux keep to the south, while only the basement of the east range survives. Fragments of the north and west curtain walls outline the courtyard, which was formerly divided in two by further 16th century buildings. The castle was originally approached from the south, via a bridge and 3.4 metres (11.2 ft) drawbridge, across a 15 metres (49.2 ft) wide ditch. In the 16th century, steps were built to access the Ruthven lodging from the west.The keep
The keep, or donjon, survives largely intact from the 13th century, and forms the south-west part of the present castle. Described by architectural historian W. D. Simpson as a "cluster keep", it comprises a large round tower to the south, a smaller round tower to the west, with the two joined by a square tower. The masonry is of squared ashlarAshlar
Ashlar is prepared stone work of any type of stone. Masonry using such stones laid in parallel courses is known as ashlar masonry, whereas masonry using irregularly shaped stones is known as rubble masonry. Ashlar blocks are rectangular cuboid blocks that are masonry sculpted to have square edges...
, or dressed stone blocks. Internally, the original use of the rooms is difficult to interpret, although the round towers may have served as private suites for Lord Dirleton and his Lady. The large tower contains a six-sided chamber at ground level, possibly a kitchen, with a seven-sided main chamber above. This room has a pointed vaulted
Vault (architecture)
A Vault is an architectural term for an arched form used to provide a space with a ceiling or roof. The parts of a vault exert lateral thrust that require a counter resistance. When vaults are built underground, the ground gives all the resistance required...
ceiling, window seats in the large windows around the south wall, and a carved fireplace at the north. To the east is a postern
Postern
A postern is a secondary door or gate, particularly in a fortification such as a city wall or castle curtain wall. Posterns were often located in a concealed location, allowing the occupants to come and go inconspicuously. In the event of a siege, a postern could act as a sally port, allowing...
, or side door, and beyond is a well. Adjacent to the well is a floor hatch, which would have allowed food to be transferred directly from the kitchen to a servery above. A room in the square tower to the west, possibly the lord's bedroom, has holes in the ceiling to allow smoke from brazier
Brazier
A brazier is a container for fire, generally taking the form of an upright standing or hanging metal bowl or box. Used for holding burning coal as well as fires, a brazier allows for a source of light, heat, or cooking...
s to escape. The more ruined west round tower probably contained another hall, with chambers above and storage below. In the 17th century, the top of the main round tower was lowered and remodelled to form a gun platform.
Only fragments of the rest of the 13th century castle remain. A fourth tower, where the Ruthven lodging now stands, may have completed the "cluster keep". Bases of round towers at the south-east and north-east corners of the castle are visible below the later walls. Parts of the north-west wall are 13th century work, as is the blocked postern in the basement of the east range. The overall plan of the castle, however, was not greatly changed through later rebuilding work. Dirleton is the earliest dated example in Scotland of a castle with round towers that project beyond the curtain wall, as opposed to those at Dunstaffnage
Dunstaffnage Castle
Dunstaffnage Castle is a partially ruined castle in Argyll and Bute, western Scotland. It lies N.N.E. of Oban, situated on a platform of conglomerate rock on a promontory at the south-west of the entrance to Loch Etive, and is surrounded on three sides by the sea.The castle dates back to the 13th...
, for example, where the towers are contained within the walls. This new form was subsequently used in other 13th-century Scottish castles, including Bothwell
Bothwell Castle
Bothwell Castle is a large medieval castle sited on a high, steep bank, above a bend in the River Clyde, in South Lanarkshire, Scotland. It is located between Uddingston and Bothwell, about south-east of Glasgow. Construction of the castle was begun in the 13th century by the ancestors of Clan...
and Kildrummy
Kildrummy Castle
Kildrummy Castle is a ruined castle near Kildrummy, in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, United Kingdom. Though ruined, it is one of the most extensive castles of 13th century date to survive in eastern Scotland, and was the seat of the Earls of Mar....
.
The east range and gatehouse
The gatehouse, kitchens, and east range were built by the Haliburtons in the 14th and 15th centuries. The gatehouse, built in the 14th century to the east of the keep, is similar to the one at nearby Tantallon CastleTantallon Castle
Tantallon Castle is a mid-14th-century fortress, located east of North Berwick, in East Lothian, Scotland. It sits atop a promontory opposite the Bass Rock, looking out onto the Firth of Forth...
. It is fronted by a high, pointed arch, formerly with bartizan
Bartizan
A bartizan or guerite is an overhanging, wall-mounted turret projecting from the walls of medieval fortifications from the early 14th century up to the 16th century. They protect a warder and enable him to see around him...
s, small round turrets, at the top. The gate was protected by a drawbridge
Drawbridge
A drawbridge is a type of movable bridge typically associated with the entrance of a castle surrounded by a moat. The term is often used to describe all different types of movable bridges, like bascule bridges and lift bridges.-Castle drawbridges:...
over the outer ditch, a portcullis
Portcullis
A portcullis is a latticed grille made of wood, metal, fibreglass or a combination of the three. Portcullises fortified the entrances to many medieval castles, acting as a last line of defence during time of attack or siege...
, and three sets of doors. Guard rooms open off the entrance passage, and a round opening in the roof, known as a "murder hole", allowed defenders to drop objects on to any attacker who breached the outer gate.
The large kitchens occupy the south-east angle of the castle. The 9 metres (29.5 ft) high main kitchen has two 4 metres (13.1 ft) wide fireplaces for cooking, and a circular vent in the vaulted ceiling. Hatches in the floor give access to a well (11.5 metres (37.7 ft) deep) and cellars below. The adjacent passage linked the kitchen to the hall in the east range.
The east range itself runs the length of the east side of the castle,and originally comprised a large hall, with a square tower house at the north-east corner. Although only the basement survives, this once formed one of the finest noble residences of its time in Scotland, and would have been similar to the contemporary buildings at Doune Castle
Doune Castle
Doune Castle is a medieval stronghold near the village of Doune, in the Stirling district of central Scotland. The castle is sited on a wooded bend where the Ardoch Burn flows into the River Teith. It lies north-west of Stirling, where the Teith flows into the River Forth...
. The basement is a single tunnel vault, with low walls subdividing the area into stores. Two large ovens and a well lie at the south end, while at the east is the 13th-century postern, blocked when the wall was thickened to support the new buildings above, and re-used as a fireplace. At the north end of the basement is a vaulted prison for freemen, and below this, a rock-cut pit, 3 metres (9.8 ft) square, to house prisoners of the peasant classes. Above the prison, but still within the basement, is a vaulted chapel with various ceremonial recesses, such as a sacristy
Sacristy
A sacristy is a room for keeping vestments and other church furnishings, sacred vessels, and parish records.The sacristy is usually located inside the church, but in some cases it is an annex or separate building...
and a piscina
Piscina
A piscina is a shallow basin placed near the altar of a church, used for washing the communion vessels. The sacrarium is the drain itself. Anglicans usually refer to the basin, calling it a piscina. Roman Catholics usually refer to the drain, and by extension, the basin, as the sacrarium...
, or water basin. A private chamber for the priest is next door. The hall above is 22 metres (72.2 ft) by 7.5 metres (24.6 ft), and once had a high timber roof, and a minstrel's gallery at the south end. An ornately-carved stone buffet, or cupboard, is located on this wall, which formed part of the servery next to the kitchen. At the north-east corner of the castle, a tower house provided accommodation for the Lord's family and guests. Again, only the lowest floor remains, above the chapel. This probably formed a private chamber for the Lord, and was connected to the adjacent hall.
The Ruthven Lodging
Constructed by the Ruthvens after they acquired the castle around 1515, the Ruthven Lodging represents the final stage of building at Dirleton. In the later part of the 16th century, it served as the main residence of Lady Dorothea, wife of the first Earl of Gowrie, and their 15 children. The three-storey building is constructed, like the Haliburton range, from undressed stone, although the Ruthven Lodging is decorated with string courses, horizontal mouldings running around the walls. The large windows were protected by iron grilles and small gun holes. The rectangular Lodging is immediately to the north of the de Vaux building, separated by a narrow irregular courtyard, which is accessed via a passage in the ground floor of the Lodging. The remainder of the ground floor was occupied by cellars, with family rooms and bedrooms on the upper floors. The first-floor dining room was paved with patterned floor tiles, and may once have had a painted timber ceiling.The gardens
The castle is set within extensive gardens, bounded by a 19th-century wall. The gardens were first laid out in the 16th century, but have undergone many changes. A bowling green lies to the west of the castle, fringed by yewTaxus baccata
Taxus baccata is a conifer native to western, central and southern Europe, northwest Africa, northern Iran and southwest Asia. It is the tree originally known as yew, though with other related trees becoming known, it may be now known as the English yew, or European yew.-Description:It is a small-...
trees, which may once have formed a hedge around a parterre
Parterre
A parterre is a formal garden construction on a level surface consisting of planting beds, edged in stone or tightly clipped hedging, and gravel paths arranged to form a pleasing, usually symmetrical pattern. Parterres need not have any flowers at all...
in this area. West of the bowling green is a flower garden, laid out in 1993 to an 18th-century design, and containing yew, cedar, monkey puzzle
Araucaria araucana
Araucaria araucana is an evergreen tree growing to tall with a trunk diameter. The tree is native to central and southern Chile, western Argentina and south Brazil. Araucaria araucana is the hardiest species in the conifer genus Araucaria...
and Lawson's cypress
Chamaecyparis lawsoniana
Chamaecyparis lawsoniana is a cypress in the genus Chamaecyparis, family Cupressaceae, known by the name Lawson's Cypress in the horticultural trade, or Port Orford-cedar in its native range . C...
trees. To the north is the 1920s Arts and Crafts
Arts and Crafts movement
Arts and Crafts was an international design philosophy that originated in England and flourished between 1860 and 1910 , continuing its influence until the 1930s...
garden, which is home to a 215 metres (705.4 ft) -long herbaceous border
Herbaceous border
A herbaceous border is a collection of perennial herbaceous plants arranged closely together, usually to create a dramatic effect through colour, shape or large scale. The term herbaceous border is mostly in use in the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth...
, and is overlooked by a castellated 19th-century gazebo, or summer house. The border is recognised by the Guinness Book of Records as being the longest in the world. The rest of the gardens comprise lawns, with numerous mature specimen trees, including redwood, beech, and sycamore.
There is a well preserved 16th-century beehive-shaped doocot, or pigeon house, in the castle grounds. The doocot is 7.6 metres (24.9 ft) high, and contains around 1000 nesting boxes for pigeons, which were an important source of food for the castle's inhabitants. To the north-east, now located outside the castle gardens, is a 16th-century gateway which formerly served the castle, but now serves the adjacent farm.
External links
- Dirleton Castle on Undiscovered Scotland
- Dirleton Castle in the Gazetteer for Scotland
- Images from RCAHMS, including aerial views, plans, and historical photographs.
- History of the Barony of Dirleton
- Reconstruction of Dirleton Castle