As with Dirleton Castle, Hailes Castle is only a few miles from where I stay but I have never
visited before! It’s just one of those things – you never seem to visit
the interesting places that are on your own doorstep!
So, on a
lovely sunny day recently, my husband and I took ourselves off to visit
Dirleton Castle then Hailes Castle. It’s not too difficult to find, but
it is quite hidden in a dip and surrounded by trees. The road to get to
it is a single track and there are not too many passing places! When you
get to the castle, which is a ruin and unmanned, you can park outside
the entrance, but there’s only space for around three vehicles. As it
was a sunny day when we were there, it was actually quite busy and we
found it difficult to get our car parked off the road, but we eventually
found a spot a short distance away.
Although unmanned with free
entry, the grounds are well kept and the gardeners were doing some grass
cutting at the time we were visiting.
I was surprised to find
that the castle stands on the banks of the River Tyne, but you can’t
really see that until you walk into the grounds of the castle. It was so
tranquil and families were enjoying picnics on the banks of the river
and within the castle grounds. There were also lots of swallows flying
around and I could see many swallow chicks in their nests actually
inside the castle building.
This castle really is a hidden gem
and is well worth a visit, especially on a gloriously sunny day when you
could take a picnic with you (be aware though that there are no toilet
facilities).
Here are some photos - it's well worth a visit, especially on a lovely summer's day.
 |
| Baby swallows in their nest |
 |
| River Tyne |
 |
| River Tyne |
 |
| Castle |
 |
| Arched doorway |
 |
| Gateway |
 |
| Gateway into courtyard |
 |
| View of castle from the road |
