a "beautification" of Dirleton village. In the mid-19th century, two new parterres were laid out by the head gardener, David Thompson. Although neither survived, the west garden was restored, based on 19th-century plans, in 1993. The north garden was replaced in the 1920s with an Arts and Crafts-style garden of herbaceous borders. Also in the 1920s, the castle was passed into state care, and is now maintained by Historic Environment Scotland, an agency of the Scottish Government. The castle and grounds are protected as a Scheduled Ancient Monument, while the gardens appear on the Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes in Scotland, the national register of historic gardens. The castle, doocot, and boundary walls are Category A listed buildings, the highest level of protection for a historic building in Scotland. Description The castle is built on a natural rocky outcrop, on a low ridge overlooking the farmland of East Lothian. It comprises a kite-shaped courtyard, by , flanked by buildings on the south and east sides. The most substantial remains are the Ruthven Lodging, the gatehouse, and the de Vaux keep to the south, while only the basement of the east range survives. Fragments of the north and west curtain walls outline the courtyard, which was formerly divided in two by further 16th-century buildings. The castle was originally approached from the south, via a bridge and drawbridge, across a wide ditch. In the 16th century, steps were built to access the Ruthven lodging from the west. The keep The keep, or donjon, survives largely intact from the 13th century, and forms the south-west part of the present castle. Described by architectural historian W. D. Simpson as a "cluster keep", it comprises a large round tower to the south, a smaller round tower to the west, with the two joined by a square tower. The masonry is of squared ashlar, or dressed stone blocks. Internally, the original use of the rooms is difficult to interpret, although the round towers may have served as private suites for Lord Dirleton and his Lady. The large tower contains a six-sided chamber at ground level, possibly a kitchen, with a seven-sided main chamber above. This room has a pointed vaulted ceiling, window seats in the large windows around the south wall, and a carved fireplace at the north. To the east is a postern, or side door, and beyond is a well. Adjacent to the