Dalhousie Castle

The first position on the list of the oldest hotels in Scotland is Dalhousie Castle. It is a Scottish castle in Cockpen, Midlothian. Dalhousie Castle is located 8 miles (13 kilometers) south of Edinburgh, near the village of Bonnyrigg. The Earls of Dalhousie, Clan Ramsay's chieftains, resided in the fortress.

Simundus de Ramesie (Simon of Ramsey), an English knight of Norman lineage from the Huntingdonshire settlement of Ramsey, was the clan's patriarch. Simundus, a subordinate of David, Earl of Huntingdon, accompanied his master to Scotland around 1140 when David inherited the Scottish throne. He is credited with founding the Ramsay clan and being the first to settle at Dalwolsey.

He was the one who built the first fortress at Dalhousie. The red stone castle overlooks the River Esk in a strategic location. The earliest element of the current edifice, an L Plan Castle, is the drum tower, which originates from the mid-15th century. The existing castle was built mostly in the 17th century. The castle used to be surrounded by a dry moat. In the late twentieth century, the moat was partially excavated but eventually filled in. Each one of a kind chamber is lavishly adorned with rich Scottish fabrics and historical furniture, deserving of a royal visitor's stay.

Location: Cockpen, Midlothian, Scotland
Phone: 01875 820153
Website: dalhousiecastle.co.uk