A 13th century castle which has connections to Mary Queen of Scots, is to be sold later this month.

Hailes Castle, near East Linton, has a rich history dating back to the 1200s  and has links to the war for Scottish Independence and Mary Queen of Scots. It is one of Scotland’s oldest stone castles.

The castle has been managed by Historic Environment Scotland (HES) but is under the ownership of a third party and will be put up for online auction on March 21 at an opening bid of £284,000.

The castle has been closed since January 2022 due to erosion. HES says the castle is closed while "high level masonry inspections" are carried out. The grounds of the castle still remain open. 

Auctioneers Future Property Assets have described the property as a “superb development opportunity”, though any development on the land would require planning consent from East Lothian Council.

The castle is associated with the de Gourlay and the Hepburn noble families. Mary Queen of Scots’ third husband James Hepburn, fourth earl of Bothwell, may have been born in the castle according to Historic Environment Scotland. He fled into exile after Mary’s capture in 1567. The castle’s days as a stronghold ended with Cromwell’s invasion in 1650.

East Lothian Courier: Hailes Castle, near East Linton, which dates back to the 1200s, is to be auctioned off this monthHailes Castle, near East Linton, which dates back to the 1200s, is to be auctioned off this month

The news of the sale has caused some concern amongst locals, with one member of the public describing the sale as “tragic”.

Danny Hunter lives in Musselburgh but regularly visits the castle. He told the Courier: “I had initially thought it was a mistake, but it looks like it is true.

“The castle obviously has some significant history in East Linton and East Lothian as a whole and I would hate to think it would no longer be kept as a castle.

“Given how close the auction is it feels as though they have perhaps wanted to keep the sale quiet.

“East Linton has just opened a train station and there is obviously a drive to get people to visit the village.

“Hailes Castle is East Linton's tallest and most historic attraction and the sale is obviously deeply concerning.”

However, Historic Environment Scotland, say they will continue to manage the site on behalf of Scottish Ministers. 

A spokesperson for HES said: "Hailes Castle is one of our sites where a Guardianship Agreement is in place.

"This means the owner can sell the property. The transfer of ownership however doesn't impact the guardianship agreement or our management of the site on behalf of Scottish Ministers."

HES look after over 300 properties across Scotland on behalf of Scottish Ministers. These are referred to as properties in care.

In some cases they remain in third party ownership however guardianship agreements are in place with the owner.

The auction starts at 10am on March 21 and will close at 3pm. Online bids can be made and offers lodged at: https://www.futurepropertyauctions.co.uk/property_details.asp?id=13130494#!/

.