Hailes Castle

Hailes Castle is a 14th-century castle located in East Lothian, Scotland. It was founded as a fortified tower house by Hugo de Gourlay before 1300, making it one of the oldest of its kind in Scotland. The castle was originally owned by the Earls of Dunbar and March, but was forfeited to the Scottish Crown after the de Gourlays, a Northumbrian family, supported the English in the Wars of Independence. The castle and lands were then given to Sir Adam de Hepburn. In 1451, Sir Patrick Hepburn, 1st Lord Hailes, was granted a charter of the lordship of Hailes and other lands, which were combined to form the Barony of Hailes. The castle has a long history of sieges and attacks, including an attack by Harry Hotspur Percy in 1400 and a successful attack by Archibald Dunbar in 1443. The castle was used as a granary in the mid-19th century and is now open to the public without charge. It is protected as a scheduled monument under the care of Historic Environment Scotland.