{{Short description|Village in Midlothian, Scotland}} thumb|Cousland Village Hall '''Cousland''' is a village in Midlothian, Scotland. It is located {{convert|4|km}} east of Dalkeith and {{convert|3|km}} west of Ormiston, on a hill between the Rivers Tyne and Esk.
==History== Cousland was a possession of the Sinclair family of Roslin from the late 12th century, and passed to the Ruthvens in the late 15th century.<ref name=dig/> It formerly had its own chapelry, which was annexed to the parish of Cranston about the time of the Reformation.<ref name=Groome/>
In 1547, during the Rough Wooing, the English army led by Lord Hertford burned the village, around the time of the Battle of Pinkie which was fought nearby.<ref name=Coventry/> The village was a centre of lime production from the 16th century. Cousland lime was used to build and repair Edinburgh's town walls,<ref>''Extracts From the Records of the Burgh of Edinburgh, 1557–1571'' (Edinburgh: Scottish Burgh Records Society, 1875), p. 18.</ref> at Kelso Abbey in 1554,<ref>James Balfour Paul, ''Accounts of the Treasurer of Scotland'', 10 (Edinburgh, 1913), pp. lix, 263–268.</ref> and was frequently used at Holyrood Palace for plastering and harling.<ref>Henry Paton, ''Accounts of the Masters of Work'', 1 (Edinburgh: HMSO, 1957), pp. lii, 93, 302.</ref>
The Confederate Lords, opponents of Mary, Queen of Scots, gathered at Cousland in 1567 at the time of the stand-off at Carberry Hill.<ref name=Canmore/> After the execution of William Ruthven, 1st Earl of Gowrie, in 1584, Cousland passed successively to the Herries, the Hays of Kinfauns, and the Macgills of Oxenfuird, before coming to the Dalrymples, later Earls of Stair, in the 1690s.<ref name=dig/> Cousland Smiddy is a blacksmith's workshop built in the 18th century, which unusually remains in working order, and is a category B listed building.<ref name=listed/>
thumb|A contemporary sketch of the Battle of Pinkie shows "Cowſland" at centre-left, below "Dakyth" An archaeological survey, the Big Cousland Dig, was carried out in 2007–2008, and focused on the sites of the castle, the windmill and an 18th-century pottery.<ref name=dig/>
===Cousland Castle=== The ruins of a tower house and enclosure walls are located on the south side of the village. Although formerly thought to be a nunnery, the remains are now attributed to William Ruthven, 1st Lord Ruthven, and dated to the late 15th century. The original tower was extended to form a larger residence in the 16th century.<ref name=Canmore/> The tower house had a vaulted basement,<ref name=Coventry/> and was extended southwards. It stands at the north-east corner of a walled garden area, {{convert|68|m}} square, enclosed by walls {{convert|85|cm}} thick, probably constructed after 1690. The house was demolished after 1760, and the walls survive intact on the northern sides.<ref name=Canmore/> The tower, house and walls are protected as a scheduled monument.<ref name=schedule/>
Dorothea Stewart, Countess of Gowrie, was commanded to surrender Dirleton, Ruthven, Cousland, and the Gowrie lodging in Perth to the crown in May 1584.<ref>David Masson, ''Register of the Privy Council of Scotland: 1578-1585'', vol. 3 (Edinburgh, 1880), p. 663.</ref>
==References== {{Reflist|refs= <ref name=Coventry>Coventry, Martin (2001). ''The Castles of Scotland''. Musselburgh: Goblinshead. p. 127 {{ISBN|1-899874-26-7}}</ref> <ref name=Canmore>{{cite web |url=https://canmore.org.uk/site/53403/cousland-castle|work=Canmore|title=Cousland Castle |publisher=Historic Environment Scotland |access-date=19 April 2017}}</ref> <ref name=dig>{{cite web |url=https://www.scribd.com/doc/258117828/Big-Cousland-Dig-Report |title=Big Cousland Dig Report |publisher=Cousland Local History Project |year=2007–2008}}</ref> <ref name=Groome>{{cite book|author=Groome, Francis H. |year=1896 |edition=2nd |page=290 |title=Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland }}</ref> <ref name=listed>{{Historic Environment Scotland|num=LB776|desc=Cousland, Smiddy and Cottage|access-date=16 April 2019}}</ref> <ref name=schedule>{{Historic Environment Scotland|num=SM1187|desc=Cousland Castle, tower and house 75m ESE of Chapeldyke|access-date=16 April 2019|fewer-links=yes}}</ref> }}
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Category:Villages in Midlothian Category:Dalkeith