Hailes Castle is a mainly 14th century castle about a mile and a half south-west of East Linton, East Lothian, Scotland. This castle, which has a fine riverside setting, belonged to the Hepburn family during the most important centuries of its existence.

The castle was founded as a fortified tower house by Hugo de Gourlay before 1300, making it one of the oldest constructions of its kind in Scotland. In 1400 it successfully withstood an attack from Harry Hotspur Percy, in league with the Earl of March. The attackers were defeated afterwards in a counter-attack led by Archibald, Master of Douglas. A successful attack by Archibald Dunbar in 1443 was followed by a massacre of the castle’s inhabitants.

The castle stands on a promontory on the Scottish River Tyne, blocking its strategic route, and preying on the route to Edinburgh. Within the 13th century curtain wall is the 14th century keep, to which ranges were added in the next two centuries. The major remaining works is the West Tower, a square donjon, which dwarfs the remains of the central tower that the Gourlays built, probably a rebuilding on the 16th century. Fifteenth century work includes a roofless chamber in which the remains of what appear to be an ambry and a piscina suggest it was a chapel rather than a hall. There is also a vaulted basement bakehouse and brewhouse from this period. The original tower was used as a dovecot after it ceased to be occupied. Of the East Tower, only a finger of stonework remains.

Since 1926, it has been the subject of a state-sponsored guardianship agreement, which is now under the auspices of Historic Environment Scotland as a scheduled monument.

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Founded: 14th century
Category: Castles and fortifications in United Kingdom

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en.wikipedia.org

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User Reviews

David Masefield (7 months ago)
Hailes castle is fenced off for safety reasons by the Scotland Historical Monuments Authority. Hopefully, one day, visitors will be allowed to wander the ruins again. My pics are from outside the fence.
K Elf (16 months ago)
I love that conservation work takes place at the castles so that generations may experience these fantastic places in years to come. But...I really wish I was also able to experience it, lol. Not much parking here, maybe room for 2 cars on a narrow road. The castle itself is closed off for now, not knowing when it will reopen. Beautiful grounds, though also mostly closed off (unless you want to trek through mud and water).
Debbie Lister (2 years ago)
Castle is currently closed. You can access the grounds but building itself is fenced off whilst they assess structural safety. If you are in the area its worth dropping by but I wouldn't go out of my way to visit. Road to access is single track and parking is limited to a small space at the side of the road which can take 3-4 cars max.
Alan Holt (2 years ago)
When we visited the area was fenced off as it was in a dangerous state. COVID has prevented the regular maintenance and repair of many of these old Historic Scotland buildings. This is a lovely site but the roads in are all single track with only a few passing places.
Magda Lubas (6 years ago)
Another beautiful historic place to visit for free. Lovely scenery. Great to bring kids with you to enjoy time outdoor. Nice spot for family picnic on the edge of the river. All place kept very well. Just the parking bay a bit small, max 4 cars.
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