Mary, Queen of Scots, left Fa’side Castle one fateful morning. She traded her royal robes for a simple skirt. She was heading to the Battle of Carberry Hill. Welcome to Fa’side Castle. Its story is etched in stone and blood.
Fa’side Castle has stood here for centuries. It has witnessed battles, betrayals, and the rise and fall of families. The name itself has many spellings. Locals know it as the dark shady side of the hill. The Fa’side motto is “Forth and Feir Nocht” meaning go forth and fear nothing.
Let’s journey back to 1189. The monks of Newbattle Abbey granted land to Saer de Quincy. He was the 1st Earl of Winchester. He built a castle on this very site. The land passed to Alan la Zouche. Sir William Douglas besieged it in 1288. Robert the Bruce later seized it. He granted it to the Seton family.
The Fawsydes acquired the land in 1371. They constructed the earliest part of the castle in the 15th century. This is the building you see before you. It has a rich and complex history.
Imagine the scene before the Battle of Pinkie Cleugh in 1547. English soldiers burned Fa’side Castle. Those trapped inside perished. The castle was rebuilt. It was extended to the south in the late 16th century.
Consider Janet Lawson, Lady Fawside. In 1620, she hosted a dinner party. Local landowners gathered to illegally fix coal prices. The Privy Council of Scotland intervened. The lairds were fined and imprisoned. They claimed their coal mines were unprofitable.
The Fawsydes sold Fa’side Castle in 1631. An Edinburgh merchant named Hamilton bought it. By the 19th century, the castle lay in ruins. It faced demolition in the 1970s.
Thankfully, Thomas Moodie Craig stepped in. Author Nigel Tranter created the Fa’side Restoration Society. Craig bought and restored the castle. The restoration was completed in 1982. The original name Fawside Castle was rediscovered.
Look around. Fa’side Castle is an L-plan building. It has a 15th-century keep. A turreted block was added later. Notice the vaulted basement. The castle sits on a high ridge. It offers panoramic views of East Lothian and the Firth of Forth.
The walls of the original tower are impressively thick. Some are six to eight feet thick. The stairs are steep. A dungeon hides a secret passage. It may connect to Pinkie House and Elphinstone Tower.
Picture the Great Hall. It once had a minstrels’ gallery. Imagine lords and ladies feasting. Consider the laird’s lug. Someone sitting on the toilet could eavesdrop on conversations in the room above.
The “new bit” of the castle is six stories high. The walls are thinner here. Larger windows let in more light. A wide 17th-century stair leads to the drawing room. Above is the library. Above that, a granny flat hides a six-foot-deep hiding space.
Recall the feud between the Fawsydes and the Prestons. A stream was suspected of being poisoned. Cattle died. A raid on Fa’side Castle followed. The great bell rang out. The Fawsydes retaliated. Their chief was killed. Lady Fawside bravely defended the castle.
Remember the Battle of Pinkie. Lady Fawside hurled stones at the English invaders. The castle was set on fire. Some defenders refused to surrender. They perished in the flames.
In 1616, Robert Fawsyde’s son was murdered by a servant. The servant was beheaded on Castle Hill. His head was brought back to Fa’side on a pike.
Today, Fa’side Castle is a private residence. It has been lovingly restored. It stands as a testament to Scotland’s turbulent past. As you leave Fa’side Castle, carry with you the tales of its resilient owners, bloody battles, and enduring spirit.