Saltcoats Castle

Ruins of Saltcoats Castle

Saltcoats Castle is a courtyard castle dating from the sixteenth century, about .5 miles (0.80 km) south of Gullane in East Lothian, Scotland.[1] It is a category B listed building.[2]

History

Saltcoats Castle was a property of the Livingstones. Thereafter it passed to the Hamiltons of Pencaitland in the 18th century. It was occupied until after 1800, but it was partly demolished in 1820.[1]

Structure

Aerial view of the castle and grounds

The castle construction was unusual. Three sides of the courtyard were ranges of buildings two storeys high, with attics. The fourth comprises two towers, rounded at the bases but corbelled out to square above the level of the basement.[1] This tower is to the west.[3] An arch, once carrying a parapet, joins the towers. There are gunloops in the walls. There is a vaulted basement.[1]

The armorial stone of the builder, Patrick Levingtoun of Saltcoats, is now mounted over the door of a cottage nearby. The date appears to be 1592.[3]

There is a lectern type dovecot, 17 feet by 15 feet, in the boundary wall of the castle. It is now roofless. The partly buttressed walls are built of rubble, with dressings and one setback course. It has crow-stepped gables. In the south gable there are six entry holes in a grid; around 200 nests remain.[3]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Coventry, Martin (2001) The Castles of Scotland. Goblinshead. ISBN 1-899874-26-7 p.372
  2. ↑ "Saltcoats Castle". Historic Scotland. Retrieved 18 December 2013.
  3. 1 2 3 "Saltcoats Castle". scotlandsplaces. Retrieved 2010-01-14.

Coordinates: 56°01′37″N 2°49′38″W / 56.027014°N 2.827232°W / 56.027014; -2.827232


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