Dirleton Castle and Gardens
About
Four kilometres west of North Berwick, in the middle of the village of Dirleton, a medieval fortress and residence that housed three successive noble families across four hundred years, entered over a timber bridge into a thirteenth-century drum tower. It is a gentler visit than Tantallon and a better one for a mixed group, mainly because of the gardens: Historic Environment Scotland's grounds here include what is claimed as the world's longest herbaceous border, plus a bowling green and a Victorian garden. As at Tantallon, access is currently restricted: HES states there is no visitor access to the Guard House, the South Entrance and the De Vaux range. Winter hours also drop days, with the castle closed on Thursdays and Fridays from October to March.
Photos
Highlights
- ✓The thirteenth-century drum tower and the timber bridge approach
- ✓Gardens including what is billed as the world's longest herbaceous border
- ✓The bowling green and Victorian garden
- ✓A tidy village green setting rather than an exposed clifftop
Tips
- →Restricted access: Historic Environment Scotland states that while conservation works continue around a third of the castle ruins are not accessible, including the Guard House, the South Entrance and the De Vaux range. The Haliburton Range with the Great Hall, kitchen, vaults and chapel, plus the gardens, remain open, and HES has reduced ticket prices while the restrictions are in place. Re-verified 2026-08-21.
- →Winter opening is Monday to Wednesday and the weekend only: from 1 October to 31 March the castle is closed on Thursdays and Fridays, and it may close for lunch.
- →Summer hours are roughly 09:30 to 17:00 with last entry at 16:30 from 1 April to 30 September.
- →The gardens are the reason to come in June and July rather than the masonry.
- →Yellowcraig beach is about 2 km north of the village, which makes an easy castle-and-beach afternoon.
Best Season
More Attraction Activities
Scottish Seabird Centre
Live cameras on the Bass Rock gannet colony, a viewing balcony over the harbour, and the booking office for the boats. About an hour and a quarter.
Tantallon Castle
A huge red sandstone curtain wall on a clifftop headland facing the Bass Rock, four kilometres east of town. Parts are currently closed to visitors.
Coastal Communities Museum
A free, volunteer-run local museum above the library, with an original West Bay beach hut and an audio tour of the town. Wednesday to Saturday, to 31 October.