east-lothian-1924/05-085

Transcription

DIRLETON.] -- INVENTORY OF MONUMENTS IN EAST LOTHIAN. -- [DIRLETON.

passage a wheel-stair partially corbelled out in
a re-entering angle leads to the portcullis room
and the rooms over.
[inserted note]
The portcullis chamber was later
subdivided - see fireplaces.
The building and stair towers forming the
north wall of the little court at the south-west
angle were built circa 16th century. The
building is three storeys in height, and on the
courtyard level is penetrated by a vaulted
trance with doorways at either end with semi-
circular heads, around which returns a quirked
edge-roll. On either side of the trance there
is a small vaulted cellar. The first floor was
probably subdivided-there being two fire-
places in the south-west wall-into two apart-
ments, which were living rooms, while the
upper floors contained bedrooms. The windows
to the courtyard have gunloops in the breasts.
On the exterior of the north wall a moulded
corbel course returns along the wall head.
Below this are two string courses, the lower
breaking and returning round a panel space
for an armorial bearing.
To this period also may be ascribed the small
soil chamber in the fragment of the west
curtain.
The castle buildings are now under the con-
trol of H.M. Office of Works, and are being
put into a proper state of repair.
HISTORICAL NOTE.-The lands of Dirleton
and Gullane were possessed from about the
middle of the 12th century by the family of
De Vaux (Vallibus).1 Their castle (castellum de
Dyrlton) is specifically mentioned c. 1225.2 In
the summer of 1298, when Edward I. was lying
at " Templehyston " (Kirkliston in Linlithgow-
shire), his foraging parties were being harassed
by the Scots from Dirleton Castle, which the
King had passed by on his march. He therefore
sent the Bishop of Durham to capture the
place. The first attacks were a failure owing
to a deficiency of siege machines and of food.
On the receipt of fresh supplies a further attack
July 14-15 was successful, the garrison being
allowed to go with their lives and property.3
In 1299 Robert de Maudlee was governor of
" Driltone " for Edward I.4 and in 1311 the
place was still in English hands.5 Within the
first half of the 14th century the castle and
lands passed by marriage to the family of
Halyburton, and in 1389 Sir John Halyburton
had a protection from Richard II. of England
for the castle and barony of " Drylton."6

21

While in ward in the King's hands in 1363 it
was seized by William, Earl of Douglas, as the
first step in a revolt against David II. for
misappropriation of public money.7 In 1505
James IV. was at Dirleton and gave 28/ to the
masons and workmen there-so that building
was then going on. [insert] 8 [end insert] Early in the 16th century
the Halyburton line in its turn ended in
heiresses, of whom the eldest conveyed Dirleton
to her husband's family, the Ruthvens, after-
wards (1581) Earls of Gowrie.9 Robert Logan
made Dirleton, which he esteemed " the
pleasantest dwelling in Scotland ", the price
of his co-operation in the " Gowrie Conspiracy "
in 1600. For the later history of the ownership
see Introd. p. [insert] xxi. [end of insert]
In 1650 " Derlingtoun (i.e. Dirleton) House "
was a nest of the moss-troopers who killed
many soldiers of the army. Major-General
Lambert and Colonel Monk with 1600 men came
before the castle on November 7 and next
morning opened fire from their batteries. The
fourth shot (i.e. shell) of their mortar piece
" tore the inner gate, beat down the draw-
bridge, and killed the lieutenant of the moss-
troopers," whereupon the garrison surrendered
" upon reverence," being the governor, the
captain of the moss-troopers and sixty soldiers.
The captors " took in it many arms, sixty
horses which they had taken from the English,
and released ten English prisoners, and de-
molished the House."10
[marginal note]
See also info ,
p. 156.

1 Lib. de Dryburgh, Nos. 23, 29, 31, &c. ;
2 Ibid, No. 37 ; 3 Hemingburgh's Chronicon in
Annales Monastici (R.S.) iv., pp. 536-7 ;
4 Stevenson, Hist Docts., ii., p. 401 ; 5 Bain's
Calendar iii., No. 218 ; 6 Ibid, iv., p. 86 ;
7 Scalacronica, p. 203 ; Fordun, Gesta Annalia,
clxxxiv. ; 8 Accts. of L.H. Treas., iii., p. 161 ;
9 cf. R.M.S. s.a. 1529, No. 772, 1535-6 No.
1553 ; 10 Whitelocke's Memorials (1732) p. 478.

ii. S.W. June 1919 : September 1924.

28. Saltcoats Castle.-The remains of this
castle are situated on a level site a little over 1/2
mile due south of Gullane. The ruin has at first
sight the appearance of being considerably older
than it really is, but analysis of the structure
shows it to have been built towards the end of
the 16th century. Erected on a courtyard
plan, the main structure formed the southern