Red House, Longniddry

Category

Library Item

Item no

29047

Title

Red House, Longniddry

Description

A large grassy area stretches towards trees and two buildings. One is a stone build house or cottage to the right of the photograph with multiple chimneys and a drainpipe running down the gable wall. The other building is a castle keep in a state of disrepair which stands surrounded by trees. On the stretch of grass in the forefront of the image stand a man and boy with their back to the photographer looking towards the castle.

Artist / maker

Unknown

Date

1879

Size

12.1 cm x 16.2 cm

Type

Photograph

Location

Edinburgh and Scottish Collection

Redhouse Castle, 2km from Longniddry in East Lothian is a ruined Castle keep believed to have been built in the late 16th Century by John Laing, Keeper of the Signet. There was most likely a defensible structure standing in the area for hundreds of years previously which may or may not have been a Pilgrims hospital run by the Douglas family, the original owners of the land. At some point the structure was passed to the Hamilton family who remodelled the house to the grand specifications still in evidence even in its ruined state. However, the Hamiltons did not hold ownership of the land for long as they forfeited the lease because of their allegiance with Bonny Prince Charlie's cause in the Jacobite rebellion of 1746. After this, the building sadly fell into disrepair.

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Related images

Related subjects

Homes > Derelict buildings and excavation sites > Ruins

Homes > Residential buildings > Castles and palaces

Homes > Residential buildings > Houses

Landscape > Landscape architectural facilities > Walls

Landscape > Water > Reservoirs

People > Adults > Men

People > Children > Boys

Places > Scotland > East Lothian

Places > Scotland > Edinburgh

Plants > Grasses > Grasses

Plants > Trees > Trees

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