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The Great Britain Guide

Castles · Central Scotland

Oldwoodhouselee Castle

♿ Wheelchair: limited

Oldwoodhouselee Castle — scheduled monument in Midlothian, Scotland, UK.

Trees by the Former Railway - geograph.org.uk - 7344705

Anne Burgess — CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons licence

Plan your visit

Typical visit
1.5 h–3 h
Nearest railway station
Newtongrange · 7.8 km
  • Family-friendly
  • Limited wheelchair access

About

Oldwoodhouselee Castle is a castle in the United Kingdom — fortified architecture from the medieval, Tudor, or Victorian-revival period. Heritage designation: scheduled monument. Wikidata describes it as: "scheduled monument in Midlothian, Scotland, UK". Coordinates: 55.8416°, -3.1876°.

Photo gallery

Heritage listing

Old Woodhouselee Castle was a 16th-century tower house located approximately 1.5 miles (2.4 km) northeast of Penicuik, Midlothian, Scotland. It was situated south of the River Esk, near a dismantled railway track.

From Historic Environment Scotland under OGL v3.

From the Wikipedia article

Old Woodhouselee Castle was a 16th-century tower house located approximately 1.5 miles (2.4 km) northeast of Penicuik, Midlothian, Scotland. It was situated south of the River Esk, near a dismantled railway track.

Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.

Background

History

It is suggested that Old Woodhouselee Castle was built by Oliver Sinclair in the first half of the 16th century, though Historic Environment Scotland dates it more broadly to the 16th or early 17th century. The property belonged to the Hamiltons of Bothwellhaugh. According to reports, Regent Moray expelled Lady Hamilton and her young from the castle, leaving them naked; the child subsequently died, and Lady Hamilton reportedly went mad. Her husband, James Hamilton of Bothwellhaugh and Woodhouselee, later assassinated Regent Moray at Linlithgow in 1570. The castle was demolished in the late 17th century, with its materials used to construct Woodhouselee, a building that has since also…

Architecture

The castle was situated on a high rock. Today, only three cellars and a ruined wing of an L-plan tower remain. The surviving structure measures 63.5 feet (19.4 m) in length, 20.75 feet (6.32 m) in width, and 8.75 feet (2.67 m) in height. A small structure at the site is believed to have served as a kitchen.

Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Coordinates
55.8416, -3.1876
District
Midlothian
Postcode
EH25 9QJ
Parliamentary constituency
Midlothian
Nearest railway station
Newtongrange7.8 km

Sources

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Frequently asked questions

Where is Oldwoodhouselee Castle?
Oldwoodhouselee Castle is in central Scotland, United Kingdom (postcode EH25 9QJ).
Is Oldwoodhouselee Castle a listed building?
Oldwoodhouselee Castle is officially recognised as scheduled monument listed.
Does Oldwoodhouselee Castle charge admission?
Oldwoodhouselee Castle typically charges admission. Check the official site for current ticket prices and opening hours.
How do I get to Oldwoodhouselee Castle?
The nearest railway station is Newtongrange, about 7.8 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode EH25 9QJ.