Garleton Castle is a courtyard
castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by military orders. Scholars debate the scope of the word ''castle'', but usually consider it to be the private fortified r ...
, dating from the sixteenth century, about north of
Haddington, just north of the
Garleton Hills in
East Lothian
East Lothian (; sco, East Lowden; gd, Lodainn an Ear) is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, as well as a historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area. The county was called Haddingtonshire until 1921.
In 1975, the hi ...
,
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to th ...
.
[Coventry,Martin (2001) ''The Castles of Scotland''. Goblinshead. p.224]
Structure
Garleton Castle once comprised three blocks within a curtain wall,
[ but the main L-plan tower, which had two wings, is mostly demolished. While the second block has been converted to a farm cottage, the rectangular third block is still nearly complete.][ This block has two storeys, and a garret with crowstepped ]gable
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of intersecting roof pitches. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system used, which reflects climate, material availability, and aest ...
s. Other features are the round stair-tower, and the gunloops piercing the walls.[ The gunloops are of the splayed variety, characteristic of the 16th century. The castle is rubble-built.][
The interior, which has been altered considerably, includes a vaulted kitchen, equipped with a wide-arched fireplace, and another room with a canopied fireplace.]listed building
In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern I ...
and as a Scheduled Ancient Monument
In the United Kingdom, a scheduled monument is a nationally important archaeological site or historic building, given protection against unauthorised change.
The various pieces of legislation that legally protect heritage assets from damage and d ...
.
History
Garleton Castle belonged to the Lindsay family. It subsequently passed to the Towers
A tower is a tall structure, taller than it is wide, often by a significant factor. Towers are distinguished from masts by their lack of guy-wires and are therefore, along with tall buildings, self-supporting structures.
Towers are specifi ...
of Innerleithen
Innerleithen ( gd, Inbhir Leitheann) is a civil parish and a small town in the committee area of Tweeddale, in the Scottish Borders. It was formerly in the historic county of Peeblesshire or Tweeddale.
Etymology
The name "Innerleithen" comes ...
, and was sold by them to the Setons.[ Sir John Seton of Garleton was given the property by his father ]George Seton, 3rd Earl of Winton
George Seton, 3rd Earl of Winton (December 1584 – 17 December 1650) was a notable Royalist and Cavalier, the second son of Robert Seton, 1st Earl of Winton and 6th Lord Seton, by his spouse Margaret, daughter of Hugh Montgomerie, 3rd Earl of ...
. By 1885 it could be described as a fragmentary ruin.[
]
Tradition
It is said the building was haunted by an apparition of a man at one stage, while the sound of heavy footsteps is said to have been heard.[ It is possible that Sir David Lyndsay, who wrote '' Ane Pleasant Satyre of the Thrie Estaitis'' was born in an earlier building at this site, in 1486.][
]
External links
Artist's reconstruction of Garleton Castle
References
{{coord , 55.9807, N, 2.7884, W, display=title
Castles in East Lothian
Category B listed buildings in East Lothian
Listed castles in Scotland
Scheduled Ancient Monuments in East Lothian
Reportedly haunted locations in Scotland