Melville Castle facts for kids
Melville Castle is a large, three-storey country house in Midlothian, Scotland. It's designed in a special style called Gothic Revival, which means it looks like an old castle with towers and battlements. You can find it near the North Esk, not far from the town of Dalkeith.
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The Story of Melville Castle
Melville Castle wasn't always the grand building you see today. Long ago, there was an older, smaller castle on the same spot. This older building was a type of strong house called a tower house.
Building the New Castle
The original tower house was taken down to make way for the current Melville Castle. This new castle was built between 1786 and 1791. A famous architect named James Playfair designed it. He created it for a very important person, Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville. Henry Dundas was a powerful politician in Scotland.
Who Owned Melville Castle?
The first tower house belonged to the Melville family. Over many years, the land and the house changed hands several times. In the 14th century, it was owned by Sir John Ross. Later, in 1705, a man named David Rannie bought it.
Henry Dundas became the owner of the castle through his marriage to David Rannie's daughter, Elizabeth Rannie. The Dundas family owned Melville Castle for a long time, even after the Second World War.
Melville Castle After the Wars
After the Second World War, the ninth Lord Melville moved to a smaller house on the estate. Melville Castle itself was then used for different things. First, it became a place where soldiers could recover after the war. Later, it was turned into a hotel.
However, by the early 1980s, the hotel started to fall apart and was left empty. In the late 1980s, the castle and the surrounding farms were sold, but the castle remained closed.
Restoring Melville Castle
In 1993, a group called the Hay Trust bought the castle. They spent eight years carefully fixing it up and bringing it back to its former glory.
Melville Castle reopened as a hotel in June 2003. For a while, it was managed by a company called Aurora Hotels. Today, the Hay Trust still owns the castle, and it continues to be a popular hotel and a beautiful place for weddings and other events.
