Castle in Midlothian

Crichton Castle is a ruined castle situated at the head of the River Tyne, near the village of Crichton in Midlothian. Crichton has four main buildings arranged around an inner courtyard. There is a 14th century tower at the east of the castle with a vaulted basement, and a vaulted hall above. The south-west corner of the tower has collapsed. A second tower was built in the early 15th century forming an L-plan, with a gate between the two towers. The south tower has vaulted cellars on either side of the entrance. Two halls occupied the first and second floors. In the later 15th century a west block was added, with a six-storey tower at the south-west, containing several bedrooms. Crichton Castle was built in the late 14th century by John de Crichton as a tower house family residence. The castle was stormed and damaged in 1445 in response to Crichton's role in organizing the "Black Dinner" where the Earl of Douglas was murdered. Crichton was rebuilt and extended. In 1488, James IV granted Crichton to Patrick Hepburn, Lord Hailes. The fourth Earl, James Hepburn was, in February 1567, implicated in the murder of Queen Mary's husband Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, and became Mary's third husband in May of that year. In 1956, the castle was given into state care by its owner, Major Henry Callander of Prestonhall. It is now a Scheduled Ancient Monument administered by Historic Scotland. The Arts Crichton Castle was used as a location in the 1995 film Rob Roy Legends To the south of the castle is a building that is said to be haunted by the ghost of William Crichton.

Borthwick Castle is located to the east of the village of Borthwick, about 12 miles south-east of Edinburgh. The castle sits on a small hill and is protected on three sides by steep slopes. Borthwick Castle was built in 1430 for Sir William Borthwick. The castle is a double tower and in good condition, and none of the original narrow windows have been changed. The battlements are supported by projecting corbels with corner roundels, but have lost their stepped crenellations. The tower has two doorways. One doorway at ground-level leads into the partly underground kitchen and storage-vaults. The other doorway is directly above it at first-floor level, and leads into the stone-vaulted great hall. The castle is accessed via a reconstructed stone bridge. Borthwick Castle was built on the site of an earlier structure in the 15th century. The castle is the seat of the Borthwick family ancestral seat. Sir William Borthwick built the castle in 1430. The castle was originally a stone enclosure fortress centred on a tall tower house with walls up to 14 feet thick. The tower is U-shaped with a 12 foot gap between the towers. There was a surrounding defensive courtyard with round towers at the corners. The tower house is in mainly original condition but the surrounding wall and towers have been restored. Borthwick Castle was visited twice by Mary I of Scotland, in 1563 and again in 1567 when she was besieged inside - she escaped the siege by disguising herself as a page. In 1650 the Castle was attacked by Oliver Cromwell's forces, and was surrendered after only a few cannon shots. Cannon damage from this attack can still be seen on one of the walls. When Cromwell's forces left the castle, it lay abandoned for many years before being restored by 1914. During World War II the castle was used to store national treasures. In 1973 it was leased from the Borthwick family and converted into a hotel. Some of the guest rooms have four poster beds. The Great Hall is used as a dining room and caters for banquets for up to 75 guests, as well as smaller parties and couples. The castle can be hired as a wedding venue for 2 to 75 people. Wedding ceremony (religious or civil) and reception can take place in the castle.

Dalhousie Castle is situated near Bonnyrigg, 8 miles south of Edinburgh. The castle was the seat of the Earls of Dalhousie, the chieftains of Clan Ramsay. The castle was purchased by the Von Essen Hotels company in 2003 . Dalhousie Castle is now a luxury hotel with hydrotherapy spa, luxury bedrooms and a formal fine dining restaurant. The castle dates to the mid 13th century when the first castle was built by the Ramsey family. The oldest parts still standing date to 15th century, and the majority of the current castle dates to the 17th century. King Edward I stayed at the castle on his way to meet Sir William Wallace at the Battle of Falkirk. In 1400, Sir Alexander Ramsay withstood a six month siege at Dalhousie by English forces led by King Henry IV. The Ramsay family retained ownership of the castle until 1977. The castle was leased out to a series of tenants including a boarding school. In 1972, the castle was converted into a hotel. The castle was damaged by fire in 2004 but no major structural damage occurred.