Redhouse Castle, Tower house in East Lothian, Scotland
Redhouse Castle is a red sandstone tower with a rectangular courtyard enclosing a four-storey structure in East Lothian. The building's exterior displays carved inscriptions and underwent later modifications that expanded its original design into an L-shaped plan.
The Douglas family transferred the estate to Christian de Ramsay in 1421, and John Layng purchased it in 1607 before it later passed to the Hamiltons. These ownership changes reveal how the property remained valuable to local families across the centuries.
The Latin inscription 'Nisi Dominus Frustra' at the entrance reflects the Layng family's religious beliefs about divine providence. Such mottos carved into stone were common in Scottish tower houses and shaped how residents viewed their role in the community.
The castle remains permanently closed to visitors, but its exterior walls can be viewed from the adjacent Redhouse Nurseries and Tea Room. Taking time to walk around the surrounding area provides the best chance to examine the tower's architecture in detail.
The structure incorporates a lectern-style dovecote into its gateway, an architectural feature added during the transformation into an L-shaped design. This blend of defense and breeding space reveals how residents merged practical farming needs with their residential fortress.
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