Location

Fa'side Castle has fantastic panoramic views towards Edinburgh, overlooking the Firth of Forth and towards the Lammermuir Hills. The castle lies in a very private rural location amidst rolling farmland and yet is only 2 miles from the A1 leading directly to Edinburgh or towards Berwick-upon-Tweed.

East Lothian, with its excellent transport links into Edinburgh and long sandy beaches, has become one of Scotland's most desirable places to live. It is also an area of historic significance with many ancient monuments, historic houses and castles. Furthermore there is superb amenity amongst the towns and villages. Famed for its golf courses, it has been host to The Open at Muirfield Golf Course and many other international golfing events, and now it is becoming increasingly well known for cycle routes as a regular feature on the Tour of Britain route. The John Muir Way is also a recreational walking and cycling route. The Musselburgh Golf Course which can be seen from the castle is world's oldest golf course.

The village of Tranent, supplemented by the nearby towns of Haddington and Musselburgh, provides a range of services, supermarkets and independent high street retailers. There is private schooling locally at The Compass in Haddington (primary), Loretto in Musselburgh and Belhaven Hill (preparatory) in Dunbar, with a wider choice of schools being offered in Edinburgh, many of which provide direct bus services from East Lothian.

Description

Fa'side Castle is an impressive stone castle with many historic features. The main vaulted front door leads to a laigh (lower) hall with a flagstone floor and beamed ceiling. Off the laigh hall is a utility room with a central heating boiler, fitted coat hooks, double sink which is plumbed and vented for washing and drying machines. The corridor then leads to a back door to the garden and also to the main stairwell. A WC is conveniently positioned next to the kitchen/dining room. The open plan kitchen and sizeable dining area may have an historic vaulted ceiling but it is also very practical for modern family living. There is a Britannia gas range cooker along with a double sink and a larder. There is also a large biomass stove.

A solid cast stone stairwell rises up to the first floor hallway which leads to the lift and also to the drawing room which features a great fireplace with a solid fuel stove and triple aspect views. Off the drawing room is an office which again has windows on three sides and also a solid fuel stove with a back boiler. There is a spectacular painted ceiling amongst wooden beams. A door from the office leads out to the second stone staircase.

At the top of the 14th century old tower lies what the current owners use as their B&B holiday accommodation. A barrel vaulted bedroom has an en suite bathroom with a freestanding slipper bath situated on the third floor. Also on the third floor is the principal bedroom with a bath, separate shower and wash hand basins and sitting room. The steep spiral staircase leads up past a glass walkway over the old dungeon and up to a roof top walkway with panoramic views over the Firth of Forth.

This staircase also leads to the Great Hall which is a classic feature of a castle of this age. This magnificent old room has an original stone built fireplace with a log burning stove. Beside the window there are stone window seats built into the thick castle walls. There is a painted ceiling and also on the ceiling there are some of the original corbels exposed from when the castle was destroyed by a fire before the Battle of Pinkie. In the corner of the room are what remains of the now inaccessible old staircase. Beside the tartan curtain is an original stone WC called the Laird's Lug. The staircase leads down to a library with fitted book cases and there is another stone fireplace with a multi fuel stove.

There are a further three bedrooms on the fourth floor with a bathroom and bedroom 5 is at the top of the stairwell. There is also another door leading out onto the roof terrace.

GARDENS , GROUNDS & COTTAGES

Fa'side Castle is approached through double gates leading into the castle grounds. There is a well maintained lawn within an inner bailey wall and this also includes a large gravelled parking area to the east of the property. There is an internal courtyard with walls on two sides. Features include a beech hedge and woodland providing privacy. Within the grounds of the castle is a 17th century barn that sits to the south of the castle this was converted in 1996 into two cottages, Woodside and Gateside. Adjoined to Gateside is a garage, workshop and snooker room above.

Gateside and Woodside cottages each have two bedrooms and a bathroom downstairs with an open plan kitchen, dining room and sitting room upstairs with views out to the countryside and Firth of Forth.

Directions

From Edinburgh head east on the A1 towards Berwick-upon-Tweed. After 3 miles take the A6094 exit signposted towards Dalkeith/Wallyford. Turn right onto Salters Road and take the next left onto a minor country road. Fa'side Castle is about 1.5 miles up this road on the left hand side.