Dalhousie Castle is
located in Midlothian, Scotland. The
first castle was constructed in the mid 15th century, although the
current structure dates to the 17th century. The castle is made from pink sandstone and
sits on the River Esk. The drum tower is
the oldest part of the L Plan design. There
was a dry moat around the castle, complete with a drawbridge, but it was filled
during the late 20th century. Dalhousie Castle was the seat of the
Earls of Dalhousie, the chieftains of Clan Ramsey. In the early 20th century, Clan
Ramsey moved to Brechin Castle, but they kept ownership of Dalhousie Castle
until 1977. After eight hundred years of
being in the Dalhousie family, the castle was leased for a boarding school, and
then converted to a hotel, before it was eventually sold in 2003. This is the longest any one family owned a
castle in Scotland. The Ramsey Coat of
Arms is carved in stone above the castle’s entrance. Dalhousie Castle is currently a hotel and
spa.
