Located on the south bank of the River Tyne, 1½ miles (2½ km)
southwest of East Linton, Hailes Castle is an extensive ruin dating from
the 13th century. Built originally by the de Gourlay family, Hailes was
enlarged by the Hepburn family in the 15th century, with a tower being
added and the curtain wall extended. In the 16th century the castle was
owned by James Hepburn, 4th Earl of Bothwell (1536-78) and third husband
of Mary, Queen of Scots (1542-87). He brought her to Hailes on their
flight from Borthwick Castle (1567). Hailes was reduced to ruins by Oliver
Cromwell (1650). Later the castle was sold to Sir David Dalrymple (d.1721)
of the noted legal family, whose grandson became Lord Hailes. Since 1926,
it has been the subject of a state-sponsored guardianship agreement,
which is now under the auspices of Historic Environment Scotland as a
scheduled monument.
In April 2024, the site was put up for sale at auction.
The following is an extract from Maxwell's A History of the House of
Douglas, Vol 1.
The Earl of March, deeply aggrieved by Rothesay's conduct in jilting
Elizabeth Dunbar for Marjorie Douglas, had appealed to Henry IV., not
only on the grounds of equity but as a poor relation.' The grandmothers of
the English King and the Scottish earl had been sisters, so, wrote March,
" I am of third kin to you, the which in old time was called near."
'
Henry did not disown obligations to his Scottish cousin ; he accepted
March's proffered fealty, bestowed lands and a castle upon him, but,
inasmuch as the affairs of his own kingdom were in a very unsettled state,
he could not at the moment respond to March's invitation to invade
Scotland. Indeed, it is pretty certain that King Henry was anxious for
peace ; he made friendly overtures to the Scottish Government, which met
with but a cold response. Accordingly, when the Douglases made raids upon
Dunbar and Annandale, holding their lord to be a recreant and traitor,
March wrote to protest that he was still one of King Robert's lieges, that
he was only in England upon private business, and claimed that his
officers should be protected in possession of Dunbar Castle.
This request
having been refused, March openly joined the English, and having allied
himself with Hotspur Percy, marched at Candlemas, 1400, as far as
Popple in East Lothian, wasting all the country as he went The villages of
Hailes, Traprain, and Markles were burnt and two unsuccessful assaults
delivered on the castle of Hailes before the Master of Douglas arrived on
the scene with an armed force from Edinburgh.
At sunset he surprised the
enemy in their camp between Linton and Preston. They broke up in confusion
; their camp and all the booty they had gathered fell into Douglas's
hands, and the Scots pursued them as far as Berwick, killing and capturing
many in the woods of Cockburnspath, and bringing away as trophies the
lance and banner of Sir Thomas Talbot.
The situation at Hailes Castle is rather different in 2024 from
that in the earlier photographs above. The site is surrounded by
Heras fencing to keep the public out as Historic Environment Scotland is
concerned about the effects of climate change on the walls and
potentially falling masonry.
The reality, in a personal
viewpoint, is that the site is now more dangerous as visitors seek good
vantage points for photography on the edge of a precipitous drop into
the river. (28 October 2024)
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