Dirleton Castle

Address:

Phone:

01620 850330

Description:

Information from Historic Scotland.

Located in the village of Dirleton (about a 40 minute drive from Edinburgh, or about 5km west of North Berwick on the A198) and considered to be one of Scotland's oldest surviving strongholds, Dirleton Castle is an impressive, romantic property dating back to the 13th century. For 400 years it stood as a magnificent fortified residence for three successive noble families: the de Vauxs, the Halyburtons and the Ruthvens. The subsequent downfall of the Ruthvens saw the castle abandoned as a noble residence.

The siege by Oliver Cromwell's soldiers in 1650 rendered it militarily unserviceable. When the Nisbets purchased the estate in the 1660s, they built a new mansion house, Archerfield, nearby. But they didn't forget the ancient castle. The graceful ruins became an eye-catching feature in their new designed landscape.

The gardens that grace the castle grounds today date from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The formal Victorian west garden – with its foliage plants and pelargoniums – was faithfully reconstructed in 1993. The beautiful north garden dates from the Arts and Crafts movement of the 1920s, and its fragrant herbaceous borders are the first thing the visitor sees on entering the property.

Opening hours:

Summer
1 April - 30 September, Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun, 9.30 am to 5.30 pm.

Winter
1 October - 31 March, Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun, 9.30 am to 4.30 pm.

Tickets:

Adult £4.70, Child £2.80, Concession £3.80

Map:

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