Dirleton Castle and Gardens, near North Berwick (Lothian)
Dirleton Castle has boasted a garden probably since its earliest days as a medieval fortified residence.
Summary
- Gift shop
- Free car parking (on site)
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Food and Drinks
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Introduction
Dirleton Castle has graced the heart of Dirleton since the 13th century. For the first 400 years, it served as the residence of three noble families – the de Vauxes, Haliburtons and 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. Today, both castle and gardens are attractions in their own right.
History to the present day
The oldest part of the castle dates from the de Vauxes’ time in the 13th century. The impressive cluster of towers – including the imposing keep at the SW corner – is among the oldest castle architecture surviving in Scotland. The builder, John de Vaux, was steward in the household of Alexander II’s queen, Marie, daughter of the Duke of Coucy, near Amiens in northern France, where a remarkably similar castle can still be seen.
The de Vaux castle suffered badly during the Wars of Independence with England that erupted in 1296. Dirleton was captured in 1298, on the specific orders of King Edward I of England, ‘Hammer of the Scots’, and changed hands several times thereafter.
By 1356 Dirleton had a new lord, John Haliburton. He rebuilt the battered castle, adding a new residential tower and great hall along the east side of the courtyard. Although largely ruined, the surviving cavernous storage vaults, family chapel and grim pit-prison convey a wonderful impression of lordly life in the later Middle Ages.
The Ruthvens acquired Dirleton around 1510. It was not their main residence, which lay at Huntingtower, near Perth. Nevertheless, they carried out substantial improvements. They built a new residence, the Ruthven Lodging, and laid out gardens to the west. The present bowling green may once have been a parterre, or formal garden. The fine circular dovecot (pigeon house) was theirs also.
Grounds and gardens
Dirleton Castle has boasted a garden probably since its earliest days as a medieval fortified residence. Today there is a colourful blend of traditional formal gardens and more contemporary planting, including – as the Guinness Book of Records testifies – the world’s longest herbaceous border.
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.
Arrival information and how to find us
Address: Dirleton Castle and Gardens, near North Berwick, East Lothian, Lothian, , United Kingdom
Opening times:
1 April - 30 September: Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun 9.30am to 5.30pm
1 October - 31 March: Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun 9.30am to 4.30pm
Closed on Christmas Day and Boxing Day & 1-2 January.
Admission prices:
Adult £4.70, Child £2.80, Concession £3.80
Directions: The castle is located 5km west of North Berwick on the A198.
Public Transport: From Edinburgh York Place bus stop, take First Edinburgh No.124 (North Berwick) to Dirleton – 68 mins. Walk 3 minutes to Dirleton Castle.
