Seton Palace was situated in East Lothian

East Lothian

East Lothian is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, and a lieutenancy Area. It borders the City of Edinburgh, Scottish Borders and Midlothian. Its administrative centre is Haddington, although its largest town is Musselburgh....

, a few miles south-east of Edinburgh

Edinburgh

Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...

 near the town of Prestonpans

Prestonpans

Prestonpans is a small town to the east of Edinburgh, Scotland, in the unitary council area of East Lothian. It has a population of 7,153 . It is the site of the 1745 Battle of Prestonpans, and has a history dating back to the 11th century...

. Often regarded as the most desirable Scottish residence of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, the palace was erected in the 15th century by George, 4th Lord Seton and was similar in style to his house at Winton

Winton House

Winton House is a historic house set in a large estate between Pencaitland and Tranent in East Lothian, Scotland. The house is situated off the B6355 road approximately north of Pencaitland at - History :...

.

The owners of Seton Palace, the Earls of Winton

Earl of Winton

The title Earl of Winton was once created in the Peerage of Scotland, and again the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It is presently held by the Earl of Eglinton....

, had their estates confiscated after the 1715 rebellion

Jacobite rising

The Jacobite Risings were a series of uprisings, rebellions, and wars in Great Britain and Ireland occurring between 1688 and 1746. The uprisings were aimed at returning James VII of Scotland and II of England, and later his descendants of the House of Stuart, to the throne after he was deposed by...

. By the 1780s the palace was a ruin and in 1789 the owner of the site, Lt Col Alexander Mackenzie of the 21st Dragoons

Dragoon

The word dragoon originally meant mounted infantry, who were trained in horse riding as well as infantry fighting skills. However, usage altered over time and during the 18th century, dragoons evolved into conventional light cavalry units and personnel...

, commissioned Robert Adam

Robert Adam

Robert Adam was a Scottish neoclassical architect, interior designer and furniture designer. He was the son of William Adam , Scotland's foremost architect of the time, and trained under him...

 to build Seton Castle. The remains of the old building were demolished and cleared by 1790.