Visit to and review of Tantallon Castle, East Lothian

We had been due to travel out to the Isle of May for Open Lighthouse Day on the 7th September, but it had been cancelled due to bad weather.  The weather looked lovely too, but the sea was rough, so we weren't allowed to travel.  Exactly the same happened last year!!  We are now booked on the open seal day later in the month, so fingers crossed that the weather is kinder!!

So as not to waste what was to be a day out, we went down the coast to visit Tantallon Castle then on to the new Garden Centre at Dunbar for a coffee.  This is my review of the castle:

This castle sits high on the coast between North Berwick and Dunbar and commands spectacular views over East Lothian and the Bass Rock.  We visited here recently on a windy but sunny day, and found our visit very interesting.  There is ample car parking then a short walk to the castle, however for those that perhaps are not too mobile, you can travel further on up the road towards the castle where there are more car parking spaces.  There is an entrance fee to pay, and a small shop with very helpful and pleasant staff, where you can buy souvenirs and guide books.  There are also toilets, but no café.

The grounds of the castle are very well maintained and you are allowed to climb the stairs inside parts of the castle to take you high onto the ramparts were you are able to get the most fantastic views of the shoreline and the countryside.  It is certainly well worth spending an hour or so here exploring all the various nooks and crannies.  You won’t be disappointed.

Be warned though, that this castle sits right on the coastline so I wouldn’t advise visiting when the weather is extremely windy or if it is raining.  On a clear sunny day you will be able to see for miles, but if the weather closes in, as it often does, the majestic views will disappear into a grey and misty haze!!

As ever, the camera was to hand, so here are a few photos of our day out:

Tantallon Castle

Tantallon Castle

Entrance to Tantallon Castle

Bass Rock from Tantallon Castle

View from Tantallon Castle

Tantallon Castle

Tantallon Castle

Tantallon Castle

Visit to and Review of Hailes Castle, East Lothian

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

 

Visit to and Review of Dirleton Castle, East Lothian

Dirleton Castle is only a few miles from where I stay but I have only ever visited once before many years ago. In fact it was so long ago, I really don’t have much recollection about it!!

So, on a lovely sunny day recently, and before these heavy rains stopped out heatwave in its tracks, my husband and I took ourselves off to the castle for a visit and what a pleasant surprise it was! After paying our entrance fees (I bought my very first concessionary ticket!!) we walked through the beautiful informal garden to the castle. It has a commanding view of the surrounding East Lothian countryside and has loads of nooks and crannies to explore. It looks quite small from the outside, but it really is bigger than you think and is well worth a visit. You can follow the history of the different families that were in residence right from the 13th century through to the 16th century. It’s an absolutely fascinating place to visit, just steeped in history.

As well as exploring the castle, you can then also have a look at the informal garden and the woodland area, which is all very nice and superbly tended by the gardeners.

There is not a car park at the castle, but there is off-street parking in the village itself, which is only a short walk to the castle entrance. There’s a little gift shop too and you can buy a very reasonably priced souvenir guide to the castle and gardens.

Here are a few photos to whet your appetite - you won't be disappointed if you decide to visit.

Entrance to castle

Entrance to castle

Entrance to castle

Chambers inside castle

Stairway inside castle

Chambers and doorways inside castle

Chambers inside castle

The 'murder hole' where hot oil etc. would be poured through to repel attackers

Spiral staircase inside castle

A portcullis gate

Doorways inside castle