From the gates to Yester Estate it took us well over an hours ramble to find the ruins of Yester Castle. We passed Yester House which was built by the architect James Smith (1645 - 1731) for John Hay, 2nd Marquess of Tweeddale, being completed in 1717.
After yours truly had led us down one wrong turn - spoiling Dakota's excellent interpretation 0f some emailed directions he had procured, the optician amongst us used his clarity of vision to point us on the correct path.
The ruins of Yester Castle do not dominate the skyline or make themselves apparent in the distance, infact you could easily pass within 10 metres of the ruins and miss them entirely - they are situated on steep banks and shrouded from view by overgrown trees and thicket.
Getting a clean shot is difficult due to the trees preventing a distant shot - however what remains is still spectacular - with an arched room revealing the construction technique of the low roof, and a stone fireplace, chimney and tower all still intact.
However, it was the second part of the Castle that we were most interested in: The Goblin Ha'. This is a vaulted subterranean chamber which remains intact and was a place where Sir Hugo de Giffard was thought to practice magic and became known as the Wizard of Yester, with the hall itself thought by locals to have been built by hobgoblins. The Goblin Ha' was referenced in the novel Marmion by Sir Walter Scott.
Having exhausted both ourselves and any possible shots, we returned by retracing our route, minus my silly detour, taking some shots of the ornate bridges and flora that we passed on our way back to Gifford.
The morning turned into afternoon and was rounded off in the comfort of the Goblin Ha'Inn where well-earned refreshments were taken and plans for our next trek to seek out another hidden-gem were formed. My thanks to my two muddy companions for their company, particularly D'akota for the idea to seek out the Goblin Ha' in the first instance.
