Melville Castle
| Melville Castle | |
| Midlothian | |
|---|---|
 Entrance front of Melville Castle | |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | NT309670 |
| Location: | 55°53’28"N, 3°6’15"W |
| History | |
| Built 1786-1791 | |
| For: | Viscount Melville by James Playfair |
| Country house | |
| Information | |
| Condition: | Hotel conversion |
| Owned by: | William Hay |
| Website: | www.melvillecastle.com |
Melville Castle is a three-storey, Gothic, castellated mansion situated less than a mile west of Dalkeith in Midlothian, standing near the North Esk.
The house was for many generations the seat of the Dundas family, the Viscounts Melville. Today it is a hotel.
History
A tower house once stood on the site, owned by the Melville family, and which passed to Sir John Ross in the 14th century. It subsequently changed hands with the attached lands several times and was sold to David Rennie in 1705. It then passed via the marriage of his daughter to Henry Dundas.
Henry Dundas, the First Lord of the Admiralty was created 1st Viscount Melville after his seat. He demolished the tower house on the site and built the current house, built between 1786-91 with James Playfair as the architect.
The building was empty by the 1980s, and fell into disrepair. In 1991 it was bought by William Hay, who extensively restored the property before opening it as a luxury hotel and wedding venue. The property was subsequently leased to Aurora Hotels with Mr Hay regaining control in January 2012. Today it operates as a hotel.
Outside links
References
- The Buildings of Scotland - Lothian except Edinburgh, by Colin McWilliam, London, 1978, p. 320-2. ISBN 0-14-071066-3
- Coventry, Martin (2006). The Castles of Scotland. Birlinn. ISBN 1-84158-449-5.
- "thePeerage.com". http://www.thepeerage.com/p3058.htm#i30578. Retrieved 2007-01-08.