Saltcoats Castle, Gullane, East Lothian

To the south of Gullane village is the ruins of Saltcoats Castle, built when the area was once a salt marsh which gives name to the surroundings...
The late 16th c Saltcoats Castle consists of a main structure which forms the south side of a courtyard with two projecting angle towers at the W end...

Described as a Hall House it has a mock castle theme to its construction...



Here is a reconstructed painting by artist Andrew Spratt of what the castle would have looked like...



Today the north wall and inner partitions of the main building are absent...











The towers have small windows, for defence or show of power...







The armorial stone of the builder, Patrick Levingtoun of Saltcoats,
It is believed he killed a notorious wild boar in Gullane Woods in 1590 and was given the land here as a reward.
Now mounted over the front door of a nearby cottage, probably came from over the door of the castle, and the date must be 1592 (the second digit has been crudely cut as a 3)...



There is a well, capped with modern reinforced concrete which still has water...



And there is a Doocot (dove cot) on the western wall...





The castle was still inhabited about 1790 but most of the building was removed for agricultural improvements about 1823-4 and to build the cottages nearby in 1810...





Remains inside of the cooking range...



Nature is slowly retaking the land again...