Saltcoats Castle

A partially-ruined fortress in East Lothian, Saltcoats Castle lies a half-mile (1 km) south of Gullane. Begun in 1592 for Patrick Livingstone (or Levingtoun), this unusual castle comprises a pair of linked five-storey towers which are rounded at the base but corbelled out to square by the next storey. These are linked by an enormous arch which once supported a parapet, while beneath is a barrel-vaulted basement which was probably a kitchen. Ranges of two-storey and an attic formed the other sides of the central courtyard. The property passed to the Hamiltons of Pencaitland in the 18th C. and was still occupied until the early 19th C. but partly demolished in 1820 to provide stone for nearby farm buildings and walls. It is now a Scheduled Ancient Monument and was B-listed in 1971. The remains of a lectern doocot are located to the north.


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