Dirleton Castle
The impressive ruins of this 13th Century medieval castle together with the spectacular floral gardens make a visit to Dirleton Castle worthwhile.
Perched on a rugged outcrop of rock and surrounded by a dry moat accessed by a draw bridge the castle makes a magnificent sight. The gardens have graced the grounds of Dirleton Castle since the middle ages originally styled on monastic gardens and today envelope the estate in fabulous irredescent flowers, fruits and herbs with a range of trees and shrubbery. Also according to the Guiness Book of Records, the gardens boast the worlds longest herbaceous border.
Throughout its history Dirleton Castle has been owned by three powerful families each of whom made extensive developments to their home. The first were the De Vauxs, descended from Normandy in France, they built the castle in the 13th Century as a fortress and lodging for the Laird and his vassels. The imposing Tower on the west wing dates back to this period and would have been the main and rather cramped lodgings of the De Vauxs. The castle was badly damaged during the Wars of Independence with England but was vastly rebuilt in the 14th Century by the Halyburtons.
The Halyburtons owned the castle for the longest period and much of today's castle surrounds them. They built a new lodging in the Great Hall and also the magnificent gatehouse with its strong defensive structure and tall arch ways for the drawbridge. Evidence of the fortifications would have included an inner portculis and a further solid gate way. When the Ruthren family aquired the castle in the 16th Century, through marriage they upgraded the Great Hall into a more modern renaissance house, but maintained the outer battlements.
These battlements formidable though they may look were no match for modern warfare of the 16th Century and during the Civil War the western wing was decimated by Cromwell's artillery battery leaving the residence in such a state that it was no longer lived in after 1650.
Two interesting features are the cavernous castle vaults, giving some idea as to the wealth of a family that could stock such a huge larder and the dove cot which is in excellent condition.
