Garleton Castle facts for kids
Garleton Castle is an old castle from the 1500s. It is located about 2.4 kilometers (1.5 miles) north of Haddington. You can find it just north of the Garleton Hills in East Lothian, Scotland.
What Garleton Castle Looks Like
Garleton Castle used to have three main parts inside a protective wall. The biggest part was an L-shaped tower with two wings. Most of this tower is now gone.
Another part of the castle has been changed into a farm cottage. But the third part, which is shaped like a rectangle, is still mostly complete. This rectangular building has two floors and an attic. Its gables (the triangular parts of the wall at the end of a roof) have a special stepped design called "crowstepped."
You can also see a round tower for stairs. There are holes in the walls called "gunloops." These holes were used to fire guns from inside the castle. They have a wide, flared shape, which was common in the 1500s. The castle is built from rough stones. Some parts of the original protective wall and a round tower are still standing.
Inside, the castle has been changed a lot over time. It includes a kitchen with a curved, stone ceiling. This kitchen has a large fireplace with a wide arch. Another room has a fireplace with a decorative cover. The parts of the castle that remain are protected as a special historic building. They are called a category B listed building and a Scheduled Ancient Monument.
History of Garleton Castle
Garleton Castle first belonged to the Lindsay family. Later, it was owned by the Towers family from Innerleithen. They eventually sold the castle to the Setons.
Sir John Seton of Garleton received the property from his father, George Seton, 3rd Earl of Winton. By the year 1885, the castle was mostly in ruins.
Old Stories About the Castle
People say that a ghost of a man once haunted Garleton Castle. They also say that the sound of heavy footsteps could be heard there.
It is thought that Sir David Lyndsay might have been born at this site. He was a famous Scottish poet who wrote a play called Ane Pleasant Satyre of the Thrie Estaitis. He was born in 1486, possibly in an earlier building that stood where the castle is now.
