Field Visit
Date 23 April 1920
Event ID 1088041
Category Recording
Type Field Visit
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/1088041
Waughton Castle, which lay 2 ¾ miles north-north-west of East Linton, was, on 14th January 1569, the scene of a raid by ‘Robert Hepburne, sonne to yelaird of Waughtone’, who ‘came to the hous of Waughtone and brake ye stabills and tooke out 16 horses: the laird of Carmichale being capitane and keeper of the said house of Waughtone’ (1).
From level and low lying garden ground on the south, a terrace of rock, which measures 175 feet from east to west by 118 feet from north to south, rises sheer to a height of 15 feet at south and west. The south-west angle has been occupied by the house, of which only a small projecting wing remains. This rises from the base of the rock to a height of 25 feet above it and is built of the local igneous rubble with light coloured freestone dressings at quoins and voids. A narrow window in the south wall has an edge-roll with flanking hollows wrought on jambs and lintel, which evidences a 16th century date for the structure. On north and east the rock has been bounded by a wall, but this and the ruined structure at the north-east angle of the site are much later than the house. From the rock a staircase, only partially artificial, leads down to the garden ground at base.
DOVECOT. A 16th century dovecot in a ruinous condition lies 80 yards south of the site. It is circular on plan with an internal diameter of 13 ¼ feet, and rises in three tiers to a height of 20 feet. The entrance which faces north is checked for a door opening outwards; the nests, as is usual, are of stone On the Hepburns of Waughton see [RCAHMS 1924] Introd.p. xxiv and on Waughton Castle p. xxix.
RCAHMS 1924, visited 23 April 1920.
(1) Birrel's Diary, p. 18.
