There has been a fortification on the hill since the 11 th century, as well as the remains of one of the earliest Scottish chapels. The castle sits atop Kingston Hill, with the hill having historical importance before the construction of Fenton Tower in the 16 th century. Fenton TowerĪnother of the castles in East Lothian where you can stay overnight, Fenton Tower is a five-star luxury accommodation that is open to small groups. Open for Visit: The castle operates as a bed and breakfast and is open to paying guests 4. On a clear day, you can even see as far as Dunbar! The castle has panoramic views not only of the Firth of Forth but of Edinburgh and the hills of Fife too. Just two miles southeast of Musselburgh, it’s an ideal base for exploring Edinburgh without being surrounded by the hustle and bustle of the city centre. It’s one of the few castles in East Lothian where you can spend the night! Fa’side CastleĪlso known as Falside, Fawside, and Fauxside – as well as a host of other names – this L-plan tower house is now a bed and breakfast. The ruins are considered dangerous, and you can’t go inside what remains. The best view is from the nearby leisure centre. Therefore, it’s not safe to enter the castle and visitors are forbidden. In more recent times, parts of the castle have collapsed into the sea due to coastal erosion. However, there have been defences on the site since Roman times, and evidence that it was a Northumbrian stronghold in the 7 th century AD. It was once one of the mightiest sea fortresses in Scotland, and the remains you can see today are thought to be from the 11 th-century incarnation of the castle. What’s left of Dunbar Castle can be seen from the town harbour. While exploring the gardens and castle, you should always look out for one of the best-preserved pigeon houses in the county – with the capacity for more than 1,000 birds! The Guinness Book of World Records recognises the herbaceous border as the longest of its type in the world. The castle was abandoned and left to ruin in the 1600s, but Victorian gardens were added in the late 19 th and early 20 th centuries. The De Vaux towers were built around 1240 to highlight the status of the family who owned the castle. The ruins of Dirleton Castle showcase some of the oldest castle architecture in Scotland. Tantallon Castle 9 Castles to Visit in East Lothian 1. The site has been abandoned for about three decades.1.9 9. But many locals felt that the project was wasteful, and soon, the funds to build it – in the middle of an open-pit mine in the neighboring town of Needmore – were depleted. Bedford is, indeed, where much of the nation’s limestone is sourced, including that used to build the Empire State Building. The pile of stones is all that’s left of a $7 million effort to build a limestone ‘amusement park’ that aimed to call attention to the ‘Limestone Capital of America.’ The town of Bedford wanted to compete with larger, more well-known cities for tourists and imagined that building a 1/5 scale replica of Egypt’s Great Pyramid, as well as their own miniature Wall of China, would do the trick. But the origin of these structures are a little more mundane than the deteriorating history of a forgotten civilization.
A series of partially-built pyramids can be found all over the property, as well as the remains of a large stone wall. Bedford Limestone Pyramid, IndianaĪnyone who came upon this bizarre stone structure in the middle of the woods in rural Indiana might think they had stumbled upon ancient ruins. All that’s left are these skeletal remains, which are now preserved by a historic foundation. However, a raging fire of indeterminate cause destroyed most of the buildings and the belongings that were left inside in 1969.
After Bannerman’s death, the estate was sold to New York State, the military goods given to the Smithsonian. The castle features docks, turrets, garden walls and moats, but for all its ornamentation, it was little more than a warehouse for decades. Businessman Frank Bannerman purchased it in 1900 and spent 17 years building his Scottish-style dream castle, which he used to house his enormous collection of surplus military equipment.
Bannerman Castle was built on an island in the Hudson River that had previously been used as a military prison by General George Washington during the Revolutionary War. Surprisingly enough, it’s actually within minutes of Manhattan.
Looking at photos of this striking castle facade, you might imagine that it’s located somewhere in Europe.