Melville Castle Midlothian, Historic Gilmerton Road property location, Dalkeith hotel, Architect, Date, Scottish architecture

Melville Castle Dalkeith, Midlothian

Historic Dalkeith Building, Lothian, south east Scotland property part design by James Playfair

post updated 15 February 2025

Address: Melville Gate, Gilmerton Road, near Dalkeith, Midlothian

Melville Castle is a luxury Hotel as well as being a large Scottish Castle. The castle sits on the bank of the North Esk and dates from 1786.

Design in part: James Playfair Architect

Location: Gilmerton Rd, Edinburgh, Midlothian EH18 1AP, south east Scotland, UK.

photo : kim traynor, CC BY-SA 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Melville Castle Dalkeith

This historic Dalkeith building was built on the site of the old medieval castle for the first Viscount Melville. The Entrance Hall was designed by James Playfair.

A key Midlothian building not too far to the west is Rosslyn Chapel.

Contact Detail for this property:

Phone: +44 (0)131 654 0088
Email: reception(at)melvillecastle.com

The Castle was owned by the Dundas family until after the Second World War, when the ninth Lord Melville moved to a smaller house on the estate. At this point the castle was leased as an army rehabilitation centre and then later as a hotel.

By the early 1980s, the hotel fell into disrepair and was unoccupied. In the late 1980s, the estate and the adjoining farms were sold, but remained closed.

In 1993, the castle was bought by the Hay Trust, which extensively restored the property over 8 years. The castle was reopened as a hotel in June 2003, leased by Aurora Hotels. Their lease expired in January 2012.

James Playfair died in 1793. He had been an architect based in London. James’s eldest son, William Henry Playfair, was adopted at the age of six. William also become an renowned architect.

William Playfair – some Edinburgh Works:

Edinburgh New Town Phase 3 Development: Blenheim Place, Brunswick Street, Brunton
Royal Scottish Academy – formerly The Royal Institution, 1822-26, enlarged & altered 1832-5
Calton Hill, City Observatory, 1818

Edinburgh Walking Tours – Scottish capital city walks

Dalkeith, Midlothian – wikipedia resource page for this Scottish town.

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Midlothian Castles

Historic Midlothian Property Designs – key architectural selection below:

Dalhousie Castle, Bonnyrigg, Midlothian, EH19 3JB
Dalhousie Castle

Borthwick Castle, Borthwick, Midlothian, 12 miles south of Edinburgh, near Gorebridge, on minor road north off A7
Borthwick Castle

Crichton Castle, ruined building near the village of Crichton, Midlothian
Crichton Castle

Historic Buildings in Eastern Scotland

These ancient structures are all located further to the East:

Hailes Castle, east of Haddington, East Lothian

Lennoxlove House, south of Haddington, East Lothian

Tantallon Castle, near North Berwick, East Lothian

Dunbar Castle, central Dunbar, East Lothian

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Historic Structures in the Scottish Capital City

Craigmillar Castle, ruined medieval fort three miles south-east of the Scottish capital city centre

Palace of Holyroodhouse, Canongate, Old Town, Edinburgh

Edinburgh Castle, Old Town

Comments / photos for the Melville Castle – Historic Dalkeith Building on Gilmerton Road, near Dalkeith, Midlothian, southeast Scotland, United Kingdom, page welcome.

Hotel website: melvillecastle.com