Listed Building

The only legal part of the listing under the Planning (Listing Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997 is the address/name of site. Addresses and building names may have changed since the date of listing – see 'About Listed Buildings' below for more information. The further details below the 'Address/Name of Site' are provided for information purposes only.

Address/Name of Site

Dirleton castle gate, tower, north and west gateways and boundary walls, excluding scheduled monument SM90096, DirletonLB1525

Status: Designated

Documents

There are no additional online documents for this record.

Summary

Category
A
Date Added
05/02/1971
Last Date Amended
11/06/2018
Local Authority
East Lothian
Planning Authority
East Lothian
Parish
Dirleton
NGR
NT 51609 83929
Coordinates
351609, 683929

Description

Castle Gate: The castle gate is a 16th century round arched gateway forming an entrance to Castlemains. It is set within the partial remains of a rubble wall. The surround to the north has quirk-edged roll moulding, and the south a segmentally arched embrasure. A bar-hole is evident in the east jamb.

Tower: The tower is earlier 19th century in date. It is a circular, two-storey tower, built of stugged sandstone ashlar and set at the west angle of the boundary walls. It is battered at the base, with arrow slits. There are paired pointed windows to the east with diamond pane glazing. A forestair to the south serves as a porch to the doorway below, with a doorway above. Below a crenellated gablet coped parapet is a string course with water spouts bearing curved arrow slit details. There is a single diminutive chimney to the northeast behind the parapet.

North and west entrance gateways and boundary walls: The walls are earlier 19th century in date. They have raised stugged ashlar bays with gablet coping, roll-moulded outer surrounds, and chamfered inners to hoodmoulded gateways. The timber doors have yett grilles in their upper panels. The rubble walls are ashlar coped with two stugged ashlar courses and gablet coping set above. The walls bound the north and west of the castle grounds.

In accordance with Section 1 (4A) of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997 the following are excluded from the listing: scheduled monument SM90096 (see separate designation record).

Statement of Special Interest

The tower entrance gates and wall copings were part of Lady Elgin's "beautification" of Dirleton, bearing similar features in other parts of the village. The tower was deemed the most expensive "lamp standard". Guardianship monument.

In accordance with Section 1 (4A) of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997 the following are excluded from the listing: scheduled monument SM90096 (see separate designation record).

Statutory Address revised in 2018. Previously listed as DIRLETON VILLAGE DIRLETON CASTLE, DOVECOT, CASTLE GATE, TOWER AND NORTH AND WEST GATEWAYS AND BOUNDARY WALLS

References

Bibliography

Cruden, S (1981) The Scottish Castle. Edinburgh. pp 80-87.

McWilliam, C. (1978) Buildings of Scotland. Lothian except Edinburgh. Butler and Tanner Ltd: London. pp 173-6.

RCAHMS (1924) Eighth report with inventory of monuments and constructions in the county of East Lothian. RCAHMS: Edinburgh. pp. 17-21.

Richardson, J S. and Tabraham, C. J. (1982) Dirleton Castle. 3rd edition. HMSO.

Wilson Fish, T. (1934-8) Ancient Dovecots of East Lothian, Transactions of East Lothian Antiquarian and Field Naturalists Society vol III. p 9.

SRO RH15/70/4- contract for dovecot 1735.

Historic Environment Scotland Properties

Dirleton Castle

https://www.historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/places/dirleton-castle

Find out more

Related Designations

  1. DIRLETON CASTLEGDL00136

    Designation Type
    Garden & Designed Landscape
    Status
    Designated
  2. Dirleton Castle, Dovecot and GardensSM90096

    Designation Type
    Scheduled Monument
    Status
    Designated

HER/SMR Reference

  • MEL1331
  • MEL1370

About Listed Buildings

Historic Environment Scotland is responsible for designating sites and places at the national level. These designations are Scheduled monuments, Listed buildings, Inventory of gardens and designed landscapes and Inventory of historic battlefields.

We make recommendations to the Scottish Government about historic marine protected areas, and the Scottish Ministers decide whether to designate.

Listing is the process that identifies, designates and provides statutory protection for buildings of special architectural or historic interest as set out in the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997.

We list buildings which are found to be of special architectural or historic interest using the selection guidance published in Designation Policy and Selection Guidance (2019)

Listed building records provide an indication of the special architectural or historic interest of the listed building which has been identified by its statutory address. The description and additional information provided are supplementary and have no legal weight.

These records are not definitive historical accounts or a complete description of the building(s). If part of a building is not described it does not mean it is not listed. The format of the listed building record has changed over time. Earlier records may be brief and some information will not have been recorded.

The legal part of the listing is the address/name of site which is known as the statutory address. Other than the name or address of a listed building, further details are provided for information purposes only. Historic Environment Scotland does not accept any liability for any loss or damage suffered as a consequence of inaccuracies in the information provided. Addresses and building names may have changed since the date of listing. Even if a number or name is missing from a listing address it will still be listed. Listing covers both the exterior and the interior and any object or structure fixed to the building. Listing also applies to buildings or structures not physically attached but which are part of the curtilage (or land) of the listed building as long as they were erected before 1 July 1948.

While Historic Environment Scotland is responsible for designating listed buildings, the planning authority is responsible for determining what is covered by the listing, including what is listed through curtilage. However, for listed buildings designated or for listings amended from 1 October 2015, legal exclusions to the listing may apply.

If part of a building is not listed, it will say that it is excluded in the statutory address and in the statement of special interest in the listed building record. The statement will use the word 'excluding' and quote the relevant section of the 1997 Act. Some earlier listed building records may use the word 'excluding', but if the Act is not quoted, the record has not been revised to reflect subsequent legislation.

Listed building consent is required for changes to a listed building which affect its character as a building of special architectural or historic interest. The relevant planning authority is the point of contact for applications for listed building consent.

Find out more about listing and our other designations at www.historicenvironment.scot/advice-and-support. You can contact us on 0131 668 8914 or at designations@hes.scot.

Images

Dirleton Castle tower, looking northwest, during daytime, on clear day with cloudy sky.
Dirleton Castle Gate looking northwest, during daytime, on clear day with cloudy sky.

Printed: 19/03/2024 11:14