Saltcoats Castle

After a frosty morning it was a lovely sunny day for a coastal and field walk and observing many kinds of birds at the Aberlady Bay Reserve.   But none of my photos did the birds justice so instead I show this ruined castle.
Seen here from the old railway path near Gullane and beyond the field of leeks lie the ruins of Saltcoats Castle. It was built around in 1590 after Peter or Patrick Livingtoun was rewarded with land bordering a saltmarsh for killing a fierce wild boar that had been terrorising the local people. After being inhabited for about 200 years much of the castle building stone was used for the nearby farm cottages in the early 19th century. One of the local cottages has a stone plaque dated 1390 (probably a mistake for 1590) which is believed to have come from the castle arch.  Originally the castle had gardens, an orchard and a bowling green but they were cleared for agricultural reforms and now much of the local landscape which is not covered by golf courses is used for growing vegetables.