| Dirleton Castle , Dirleton EH39 5ER | |
| 01620850330 | |
| Dirleton Castle Website | |
| Facebook information can be found here | |
In light of updated Scottish Government advice regarding Coronavirus (COVID-19), we have taken the decision to close public access to our staffed properties and offices until further notice. All planned public events will also be postponed until further notice – full details of these can be found on our Events page in the coming days: historicenvironment.scot/whats-on.
This magnificent fortress–residence served three successive noble families over 400 years. Badly damaged in Cromwell’s 1650 siege, Dirleton’s fortunes were revived by its new owners in the 1660s.
The Nisbet family built a new mansion house nearby to live in and made the picturesque castle ruins the central feature in their new designed landscape. They also breathed new life into the splendid gardens, now home to the world’s longest herbaceous border.
What to see and do
Admire some of the oldest castle architecture surviving in Scotland – the de Vaux towers, built around 1240
See the grim pit prison, pretty chapel and cavernous storage vaults in the Haliburton range
Lose yourself in the enchanting gardens dating from the late 1800s and early 1900s, which vie with the castle for attention
Seek out the dovecot – one of Scotland’s best-preserved pigeon houses, with more than 1,000 nesting boxes
Come and learn about the Scottish involvement in the British military from WW1 to the present day at the Military Museum Scotland!
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