Thirlestane Castle
Thirlestane Castle Details
Thirlestane Castle, a much-extended C16 tower house of the Maitlands replacing ruined C13 tower 2 miles to the east.
- Closest To: Lauder
- Access: Chargeable Public Access
- Grid Reference: NT534479
Thirlestane Castle is an impressive multi-period mansion house on the outskirts of the village of Lauder in the Scottish Borders, and is the home of the Earls of Lauderdale, although now owned by a charitable trust. It is open to the public seasonally for a fee, and is easily accessible. The mansion overlooks the Leader Water and is set within extensive grounds.
The castle was not the first castle of the Maitland family in the area, and used the platform created for an English artillery fort in 1548, destroyed by the Scots in 1550. It is possible that his previous tower had been destroyed or damaged, but this is not clear, and the actual date of foundation is unknown. The T-shaped mansion was extended and altered in the 17th and 19th centuries, which made the building as a whole expensive to maintain, and the Trust was established to help fund repairs in the 1970s.
Official Thirlestane Castle website
HES Canmore database entry (old castle)
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