Fa'side Castle

Fa’side Castle stands on a high ridge in East Lothian, about three kilometres southwest of Tranent. The 15th-century keep is an L-plan building with four storeys and a vaulted basement. A later turreted block was added to the south side in the late 16th century. The castle once belonged to Saer de Quincy, 1st Earl of Winchester, in the early 13th century. After passing through several noble families, it was renamed ‘Fawside’ when the Fawsydes of that Ilk acquired the land in 1371. The castle’s history includes a siege in 1288 when Sir William Douglas kidnapped Eleanor de Ferrers. In 1547, English forces burned the castle before the Battle of Pinkie Cleugh on Falside Hill. Mary, Queen of Scots stayed there on the morning of the Battle of Carberry Hill in 1567. The Fawsydes later sold the castle in 1631 after a dispute over coal prices led to fines and imprisonment. Today, the restored castle has five bedrooms, with tourist accommodation in a tower and two cottages. The building is protected as a category B listed structure. Views stretch over East Lothian and the Firth of Forth from its elevated position. The surrounding ridge offers open landscapes and distant landmarks. The castle remains in private ownership but is occasionally accessible for visitors.