East Lothian police are appealing to the public after it is believed that individuals have been accessing a prohibited area, within an ancient castle, with metal detectors.
The Goblin Ha', an ancient vaulted area within Yester Castle, has been broken into between 26/12/21 and 26/01/2022, with the lock on the entrance being cut off.
The castle is currently closed to members of the public after it was deemed unsafe to enter.
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However, certain individuals have entered the area and used metal detectors to acquire goods within the scheduled monument, which is an offence under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979.
The initial offence of entering the Ancient Monument and causing damage to property is also being investigated.
The penalties for offences under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979 act are up to £50,000 fine or up to 6 months imprisonment.
Police are following a positive line of enquiry, however are appealing for information regarding anyone who has been seen in the area at the beginning of 2022 with metal detectors.
Please contact Police Scotland on 101 quoting Inc 1342 of 26/01/2022
The castle in question is located just one and a half miles southeast of Gifford, a small village within East Lothian, with the original stone keep believed to have been built as early as 1298 during the Battle of Falkirk.
