Waughton Castle, East Lothian

Waughton Castle is a very ruinous 14th century court-yard castle, built upon a rocky outcrop. Nearby across the field is a ruined 16th century beehive doo'cot. Sadly only one partial tower and some curtain wall remain, of what was once quite a substantial and impressive castle. Originally the entire site would have been surrounded by a deep ditch to add to it's defenses. Today it is surrounded by fields of corn.

The remains of the castle are located along the farm track of Old Waughton Farm.  Please note there is no parking on or near the farm track, or a clearly defined path around the field to the castle.

~ History ~

1271 ~ Adam de Hepburn, knight of Northumberland, is captured in the battle by the Scots and held in Dunbar Castle by the Lord Dunbar, Earl of March. Later, during Hepburne's captivity he saves the Lord Dunbar from a wild horse, and is rewarded by marrying Lord Dunbar's daughter and so becomes a Dunbar vassal at Hailes Castle.

1300's ~ Waughton is held by the Hepburns to King David II of Scotland.

1388 ~ Ramsay of Waughton, along with Bickerton of Luffness Castle, march south with James, 2nd Earl of Douglas to the Battle of Otterburn. During the battle against the English Percies of Northumberland, Douglas is killed. His death is concealed and the Douglas banner saved by the Hepburn's. The Scots rally and eventually as day breaks the English are defeated and are forced to flee. Rumours however persist that Douglas in the heat of battle had been stabbed in the back by Bickerton.

Learning of this treachery, Ramsey later tracks Bicketon down outside his own castle at Luffness, and there kills him.

1451 ~ Patrick Hepburn of Waughton obtains half of the estate of Luffness from Robert Bickerton.

1464 ~ Patrick obtains the other half of Bickerton's estate, including Luffness Castle.

1498 ~ David Hepburn passes both Luffness and Waughton Castles on to his son.

1536 ~ Patrick Hepburn of Waughton, along with others, is fined £1,000 by King James V of Scotland for repairs to his Royal castle of Blackness.

1538 ~ Patrick hands half of his lands on to his son Adam Hepburn.

1548 ~ During the wars of the 'Rough Wooing' ,where King Henry VIII's English army capture and burn Scottish castle's in order to force the marriage of the infant Mary Queen of Scots to the English Prince Edward, Waughton is seized by Lord Grey and local 'assured Scots' ,who favour the marriage union with England. However, soon the castle is retaken by the Scots and such 'assured Scots' as Douglas of Longniddry and Cockburn of Ormiston, have their Towerhouses sacked for having helped the English.

1568 ~ The Hepburns of Waughton, along with their kin from Hailes, and the Hays of Yester castle, mass their forces at Seton Palace in support of Mary Queen of Scots prior to the battle of Carberry near Musselburgh. During the skirmish and subsequent stand-off, Mary surrenders to the rebel 'King's party' on condition her Husband James Hepburn, his kin and their allies be allowed to leave unmolested. Bothwell flee's to Spynie Palace in the north of the Kingdom, from there on to Scandinavia where he dies insane in the prison of Dragsholm castle.

Meanwhile, Hailes Castle passes to the Stewarts while Waughton Castle is seized by the Carmichaels.

1569 ~ Waughton Castle is raided by Robert Hepburn, son of the dispossessed Hepburn of Waughton. Robert "..came to the house of Waughton and brake the stables and took sixteen horses, the laird Carmichael being captain and said keeper of Waughton. Then issued out the house and slew three of them, and divers were hurt on both parties."

Waughton is eventually passed back to the Heburns by legal means.

1654 ~ John Hepburn sells the castle and lands on to Alexander Cockburn.

1700's ~ The castle's materials are used as a quarry to build walls and cottages locally, the remains left to ruin.