Saltcoats Castle facts for kids
Saltcoats Castle is an old castle from the 1500s. It's located about half a mile (0.8 km) south of Gullane in East Lothian, Scotland. This castle is a special historical site, protected as a scheduled monument.
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History of Saltcoats Castle
Who Lived at Saltcoats Castle?
Saltcoats Castle first belonged to the Livingstone family. Later, in the 1700s, it became the property of the Hamilton family from Pencaitland. People lived in the castle until after the year 1800. However, parts of it were taken down in 1820.
In 1601, a woman named Jean Douglas, who was Lady Saltcoats, wrote a letter. She asked her brother, Archibald Douglas, for nice cloth from London. She wanted to make dresses for her daughters. This shows us a little bit about daily life back then.
What Saltcoats Castle Looks Like
The way Saltcoats Castle was built is quite interesting. Three sides of its courtyard had buildings that were two storeys high. These buildings also had attics at the top.
Castle Towers and Walls
The western side of the castle has two towers. The bottom parts of these towers are round. But higher up, they become square. An arch used to connect these two towers. The castle walls have special openings called gunloops. These were used for defending the castle. There is also a vaulted basement, which means it has a curved, arched ceiling.
Special Stone and Dovecot
A stone with the family crest of the builder, Patrick Levingstoun of Saltcoats, is still around. It is now placed above the door of a nearby cottage. The stone seems to show the date 1592.
There is also an old building called a dovecot near the castle. It is about 17 feet (5.2 metres) by 15 feet (4.6 metres) in size. This dovecot was used to keep pigeons. It is now missing its roof. The walls are made of rough stones and have some supports. Inside, there are still about 200 nests where pigeons used to live.
