Ruins of Innerwick Castle
The countryside in East Lothian has lots of ruins of old buildings and castles that are testament to the turbulent history between the Scots and the English. Dunbar Castle, Tantallon Castle, Hailes Castle are well documented and visited but there are other ruins tucked away in the countryside in East Lothian and the Scottish Borders.
Innerwick Castle just south of Dunbar is hidden away amongst the trees of the Thornton Glen Wildlife Reserve. The castle sits on a large crag overlooking the glen and it is easy to see why this fortress was built here to guard the way west to Edinburgh.
The castle, built in the 14th century on "the edge of a precipitous glen", was a stronghold of the Stewarts and of the Hamilton family. It was extended several times, but was captured and destroyed by Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset in 1548. Both Innerwick and Thornton castles had been of strategic importance for guarding routes from the south.
Innerwick Castle stands within the Barony of Innerwick. The most recent Baron of Innerwick was Colonel Victor Charles Vereker Cowley of Crowhill (1918–2008). Currently, Thornton Glen is part of the Crowhill Estate and is managed by the Scottish Wildlife Trust. The glen is considered important for the presence of ferns that are rare in Scotland.
The walk from the road is along a narrow path that is flanked by swaths of bluebells, wild garlic and other wild flowers. The path is rather muddy but it is an easy and pleasant walk up to the ruins. Once you arrive you see the castle perched on it's rock, with the red sandstone walls still intact in places. There are warning signs saying about the unstable masonry but there are no fences to deny access. Like all things you have to take care and I had no intention of climbing the 700 year old walls.
When I see ruins like these I try to imagine what it would've been like to live there and you can see the remains of windows, archways and fireplaces. Would the glen have been as overgrown as it is now or would the castle have been seen for miles around sat above the river?
I see Innerwick Castle being one of my regular places to visit on my photographic trips out around East Lothian and I am glad to have discovered another hidden gem in this part of the world.
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Innerwick Castle just south of Dunbar is hidden away amongst the trees of the Thornton Glen Wildlife Reserve. The castle sits on a large crag overlooking the glen and it is easy to see why this fortress was built here to guard the way west to Edinburgh.
The castle, built in the 14th century on "the edge of a precipitous glen", was a stronghold of the Stewarts and of the Hamilton family. It was extended several times, but was captured and destroyed by Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset in 1548. Both Innerwick and Thornton castles had been of strategic importance for guarding routes from the south.
Innerwick Castle stands within the Barony of Innerwick. The most recent Baron of Innerwick was Colonel Victor Charles Vereker Cowley of Crowhill (1918–2008). Currently, Thornton Glen is part of the Crowhill Estate and is managed by the Scottish Wildlife Trust. The glen is considered important for the presence of ferns that are rare in Scotland.
The walk from the road is along a narrow path that is flanked by swaths of bluebells, wild garlic and other wild flowers. The path is rather muddy but it is an easy and pleasant walk up to the ruins. Once you arrive you see the castle perched on it's rock, with the red sandstone walls still intact in places. There are warning signs saying about the unstable masonry but there are no fences to deny access. Like all things you have to take care and I had no intention of climbing the 700 year old walls.
When I see ruins like these I try to imagine what it would've been like to live there and you can see the remains of windows, archways and fireplaces. Would the glen have been as overgrown as it is now or would the castle have been seen for miles around sat above the river?
I see Innerwick Castle being one of my regular places to visit on my photographic trips out around East Lothian and I am glad to have discovered another hidden gem in this part of the world.
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