Hailes Castle

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Hailes Castle is one of my favourite locations for photographic expeditions.  Situated just a few miles from Dunbar this ruined castle is steeped in history and is located in the perfect location on the banks of the River Tyne.  In the winter Hailes looks forlorn and bleak but when spring comes along the wild flowers provide a carpet of colour.  There are also walks on both sides of the river and plenty of things to photograph in and about the castle grounds.

 Last Wednesday I spent an hour photographing the snowdrops and also the castle itself in the beautiful spring sunshine.


History
Hidden away in the pretty valley of the River Tyne stands the remarkable castle of Hailes. It is one of Scotland’s oldest stone castles, dating from the first half of the 1200s.

Hailes Castle served as a fortified noble residence for over 300 years. The puzzle is its location, for the castle is overlooked at close quarters by high ground, making it very difficult to defend. The reason may be that, when it was built, this part of Scotland was peaceful.

Hailes is associated with two noble families – the de Gourlays and the Hepburns.

The Hepburns’ castle occasionally had brushes with war and siege, but its greatest claim to fame is its association with James Hepburn, 4th Earl of Bothwell. He became Mary Queen of Scots’ third husband in 1567. He may well have been born in the castle. 

Following his flight into exile after Mary’s capture, Hailes Castle quickly declined. A subsequent owner, Sir David Dalrymple, purchased Whitehill House, near Edinburgh, in 1709. He renamed it Newhailes in memory of the ancient castle.







All images taken on a Fujifilm X-Pro1 or X-T1 with XF10-24mm f4, XF35mm f1.4 and XF55-200mm f3.5/4.8

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