Hailes Castle

There are not many ruins or castles left for which you do not need to pay any entry fee. Having said this, Hailes castle was the first castle I encountered that is part of some sort of Trust called Historic Scotland and for which I did not have to pay any entry fee at all!
Good start :-)
Whilst driving along some country roads the other day, I saw a sign post near North Berwick, indicating a way to Hailes Castle. So I could not resist to drive back and check out this place. I made my way and followed my guide that is called «Sat Nav».
After having left behind some suitable country roads and being asked to follow down a one way road with hardly any space to maneuver in case another car came the opposite way, I felt a bit too much exposed to the wilderness :-). Not sure what I would have done if there would have been a car approaching from the other side?!?
Finally my Navigation system said that I had reached the destination, but all I could see was a bit of space for two cards to park on the side of the road. Thought the Sat Nav fooled me! Fortunately, I was not lost and after some looking around, I found the entrance to the castle grounds. No entrance fee! Whoop.
Firstly a tablet tells you a bit about the history. The original tower was founded by a Northumbrian Gourlay family in the 13^th century and was taken over by the Hepburn family in the 1400’s. I believe Mary Stuart also stayed there once. Henry «Hotspur» tried to besiege this castle, but failed.
Nowadays it’s only a ruin, but if you have imagination you can appreciate its idyllic setting and past purpose. The castle is not a large one compared to other castles nearby, however, it has something special: untouched from the modern world!
I walked around the ruins and even explored (from the top) a dungeon, which looked a bit scary from the outside. Am I glad we have hygiene in prisons today :-)
A tor opened up to the back of the castle and it was soooo romantic. Nobody there either. Thinking back, some solitude could be a frighting thought, but because the scenery was so nice, it was easy to relax sitting down in the grass and watch the world go by — including the white swan that made its way down the banks of the river Tyne.
Another reviewer mentioned a wedding party. Oh yes, I can definitely imagine that too. This place offers the perfect setting for an outdoor wedding.
The only drawback is that there would not be enough parking spaces!
I noticed that there were a few walkers passing by. So maybe an idea to plan a day of hiking and walking.

I’m in! I’m in! Hailes Castle, in kid-​speak, is COOL. Its’ partial remains still holds 2 pit prisons, and overlooks the river Tyne, where you can play spot the fish. On a summers day, it’s clear that it made a perfect picnic spot for a few families, and later in the day, a wedding party as well. I could think of few spots that would be less picturesque to hold nuptials in. It is still free, and still in a stunning location — but beware — there are few passing places, so if you get stuck with a wedding car going the other way, one of you will have to switch to reverse.

This is a small ruined castle that is sign posted from east linton ad is just off the A1 on the way to edinburgh There is room for a couple of cars to park and the entrace to the castle is free. It has a couple of seats and some lovely grounds and you can sit close to the river have a nice picnic and listen to the birds sing The castle is a 14 century castle. It has 2 pit prisons a nice kitchen where there were loads of birds flying out of the bread overns I think they were house martins and a great hall chapel and a dovecote. It is a great place for half an hour away from the hustle and bustle of edinburgh