Auldhame Castle

The East Lothian area is packed with lots of little hidden gems and if a ruined tower house is your thing they here is Auldhame Castle.

Perched atop a ridge overlooking Seacliff beach in East Lothian, Scotland, this captivating ruin dates back to the 16th century. Constructed by Adam Otterburn of Reidhall, Lord Provost of Edinburgh, this L-plan tower house features a three-storey main block with a projecting stair-tower.

Throughout its history, Auldhame Castle endured significant damage, suffering during the English Civil War in 1650 and was further ravaged in the 1770s when it served as a quarry. These events left the castle in ruins, but maybe this add to its enigmatic charm.

Its name is derived from the Old English term "ealdham," meaning "old home". When we visited it was a little overgrown and nature is slowly taking it back.

The area also served as a burial ground for the deceased of Cromwell's army following the siege of Tantallon Castle. We found out that in 2008 an cemetery in an adjoining field was excavated in 2008 and 326 individual skeletons were noted.

According to folklore, the inhabitants of the region employed cunning tactics to entice ships towards treacherous rocks during nights of darkness or inclement weather. Legend had it that they would fasten a lantern to a rope, which was then tied around a horse's neck. Slowly, the horse would be led along the cliffs, creating an illusion of a ship at anchor from the perspective of vessels at sea. Deceived by the false appearance, unsuspecting ships would approach, only to meet their demise on the perilous reef known as the Great Car, falling victim to the macabre locals who would seize the opportunity to plunder the wreckage. These tales served as inspiration for Robert Louis Stevenson renowned tale, The Wrecker.