Pinkie House

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Pinkie House is a three-story tower house origination in the sixteenth century. It is to the North East of Musselburgh, East Lothian, Scotland. It is part of Loretto, a boarding school. Its position is NT353927.

1 History
2 Description
3 Tradition
4 Bibliography

[edit] History

Pinkie was formerly the country seat of the abbots of Dunfermline, but at the Reformation is passed to the Seton family. One of them, James VI's chancellor, the 1st earl of Dunfermline, altered the house in 1613, and decorated it, including the 96 foot Painted Gallery. (Seton also altered Fyvie Castle). Charles I slept in what is still known as "The King's Room", while Charles Edward Stuart stayed in the house in 1745 following vicyory at the battle of Prestonpans. Subsequent owners were the Marquis of Tweeddale from 1694, and the Hopes of Craighall from 1778. The tower was adapted as part of Loretto, a private boarding school, in the mid-twentieth century.

The building is not far from the site of the Battle of Pinkie Cleugh.

[edit] Description

Pinkie House was originally an L-plan house but extensions were added in the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. The oldest part comprise::

a square five-storey tower, flat-roofed, but with bartizans and a crenellated parapet, attached to
a strong three-storey main block with a pitched roof, and square turrets.

There is a vaulted basement, and a wide turnpike stair up to the second storey. The interior has been modernised. There is a fine wooden ceiling, with classically-inspired paintings in tempera, in the long gallery, while there are many good plaster ceilings.

There is a Jacobean fountain in the L.

[edit] Tradition

Alexander Seton's wife, Lilias Drummond, is said to haunt the house, sometimes accompanied by a child, as a "Green Lady". She is also said to haunt Fyvie Castle.