Walled Gardens, Dalkeith House

The Walled Gardens date from the 1830s and were designed by Charles McIntosh. The complex consists of upper and lower walled gardens, with significant surviving walls to the north, southeast, and east.

The upper walled garden is rectangular, with intact east, west, and south ranges. A curved section of the former frameyard wall remains to the northwest and northeast. The walls are of uniform height, built in brick running bond with ashlar copes, and retain a large number of iron nails. A large, round arched carriage entrance is centrally positioned in the southern range. Segmentally arched recessed hearths are set into the inner south wall at ground level, with remnants of iron pipes visible. A small segmental arch, possibly a blocked hearth, is set close to ground level on the western outer wall. Blocked doorways with remnants of sandstone dressings are present on both the eastern outer and inner walls, leading southeast. A late 20th-century single-story building occupies the northern area where glasshouses and offices previously stood. The Garden House, a later 19th-century structure (listed separately as LB1433), stands on a raised bank to the west.

The lower garden is an irregular-plan, partly walled area, formerly a market garden and nursery, situated below the upper walled garden on a steeply sloping site, terminating at the River Esk to the south. The walls are of random rubble with coping; the low north wall has been slightly heightened with red brick. The east wall is tall in places as it descends the slope, with portions collapsed near the river bank. An ashlar retaining wall secures the riverbank at the corner, but the upper section of this wall has collapsed. There is no evidence of a boundary wall along the river to the south. A tall wall with an entrance is located to the west. The boundary wall to the east is a long, uniform-height red brick wall, creating an enclosed area to the east of the upper garden, connecting the northern part of the lower walled garden to the northeast frameyard wall. Fragments of stone strapwork, similar in style to that on Dalkeith Park Conservatory (listed separately as LB1410), are found near the northern part of this wall. The Lugton Brae retaining wall to the east of the main entrance, which incorporates a 20th-century inserted gatepier, is a tall rubble wall with round-headed coping, extending down a considerable southeastern slope and intersecting with the western corner of the lower garden.