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All of Scotland was once administered from the Midlothian town of Dalkeith, or at least from Dalkeith Castle, when Oliver Cromwell's armies came north from England in 1650, and the Commander in Scotland, General Monck, set up his government in the fortress. Today Midlothian Council still meets in Dalkeith, but larger units of government have moved on.
Significant Buildings
The castle was constructed at an easily defensible point in a bend of the North Esk. In the twelfth century Clan Graham held it, but by the fourteenth it had passed to the Douglases who became the Earls of Morton. Margaret Tudor, sister to Henry VIII of England, was a guest at Dalkeith when she came to Scotland in 1503 to marry King James IV of Scots. The property changed hands several times before coming into the hands of Anne Scott, the Duchess of Monmouth and Buccleuch. It was she who built Dalkeith Palace, incorporating parts of the old castle. A number of famous personages have visited Dalkeith, including Bonnie Prince Charlie and Queen Victoria. Its current guests are students of the University of Wisconsin in the United States who come to Dalkeith for a study abroad program.
The Auld Kirk in Dalkeith is officially known as the church of St. Nicholas Buccleuch. Built on the site of a twelfth century chapel, the church was reconstructed in 1420 and the result is the structure we see today, with one exception: the steeple was added in 1888 after a fire necessitated renovations. The church contains two organs. The Binns Organ of 1905 has an extensive range of stops allowing for wide variations in tone colour. The exact date of the Chamber Organ is unknown as it was found in a private home in a very poor state. It was rebuilt and installed in the church in 2008.
St. John's and King's Park Church meets in an 1870 building that originally housed St. John's before a series of unions of congregations in the early twentieth century. Its organ and its bell were brought from the old King's Park church at the time of the union. Its stained glass windows were installed in 1946, having been stored for safety in Dalkeith Palace after their construction in 1939.
The Tollbooth in Dalkeith has a plaque over its door that says "1647," but this is probably not the date of the building since the plaque was recovered from the grounds of Dalkeith palace in the eighteenth century. The Tollbooth is a seventeenth century structure which housed the Weigh House where traders in the nearby market could verify measures and pay taxes as well as a guardhouse, courtroom and separate prisons for men and women. The circle of stones in front of the Tollbooth marks the site of Dalkeith's last public hanging.
Dalkeith's cemetery contains two watch towers. These structures were built in 1827 and 1829, when the practice of body snatching was commonplace. Criminals were believed to disinter fresh corpses for sale to medical schools for dissection, so a watch was kept in the cemetery. In truth most illicit corpses were obtained by simple murder, which not only eliminated the need for heavy digging but guaranteed freshness.
Access and Places to Stay
While there is currently no rail access to Dalkeith, it does lie quite close to the Edinburgh Bypass (the A702) as well as its own Dalkeith bypass (the A68). Buses and motor coaches provide frequent service into the capital, but holidaymakers are best served by bringing or hiring a car. Transportation to other parts of the country or outside it is available in Edinburgh by rail or by air.
As Dalkeith is an administrative centre, it is exceptionally well served with lodging options, which range from guest houses and bed and breakfast establishments to hotels at all levels of service. Some visitors may prefer to make Dalkeith a day trip from Edinburgh.
While food is available in all environments from full service restaurants to takeaways, one particularly fine option is The Sun Inn, a gastropub that complements its extensive selection of drink from independent breweries with expertly prepared food made from fresh local ingredients.
Accommodation in Dalkeith
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