Cousland Castle

Cousland Castle stands in Midlothian as the roofless remains of a tower house and its enclosing walls. The 15th-century core was enlarged in the 16th century, but only the basement vault and the north-east corner tower survive today. A square walled garden, 68 metres across, is enclosed by walls 85 centimetres thick. These defences were probably built after 1690, long after the main house was demolished in the 18th century. The castle’s past is tied to the St Clair and Ruthven families. Henry Sinclair sold it in 1493 to William Ruthven, Lord Ruthven, and later owners included Hugh Herries, physician to James VI. It was burned in 1529 during a feud and slighted in 1547 after the Battle of Pinkie. Mary, Queen of Scots, is said to have surrendered nearby in 1567. Visitors find the ruined tower at the north-east corner of the walled garden. The vaulted basement remains intact beneath the tower. The thick stone walls outline the square enclosure, offering a quiet place to walk among the remains of past buildings. The site is protected as a scheduled monument, preserving its historic fabric for those who come to see the traces of Scotland’s past.