Hawthornden Castle in Scotland and Casa Ecco in Italy have been closed for necessary renovations. Our residency programs are on hiatus; we anticipate they will resume in 2025. 

We ask those who applied for a residency at Hawthornden Castle in 2024 to reapply for a 2025 residency via our new online application form.

Hawthornden Castle

Hawthornden Hawthornden Castle by Alexander Nasmyth (1758-1840)

Hawthornden Castle by Alexander Nasmyth (1758-1840)

The Residency

Hawthornden Literary Retreat at Hawthornden Castle in Scotland was originally founded to provide a peaceful setting for creative writers to work without disturbance. The residency receives writers for ten months of the year. It houses six writers at a time, in sessions lasting four weeks each. 

The residency is international in character and welcomes applications from writers from all over the world. Creative writers of all kinds – poets, novelists, short-story writers, playwrights, scriptwriters, creative nonfiction writers, etc. – are welcome to apply.


The Castle and Grounds

Hawthornden Castle dates from the 15th century, and like many Scottish castles has been continually adapted and extended. It was formerly the home of the poet William Drummond of Hawthornden (1585 – 1649), who completed his own restoration of the building in 1638. It was at Hawthornden that Drummond received his friend the poet and playwright Ben Jonson in 1619 on his celebrated walk from London to Scotland. The castle remained in the hands of the Drummond family until the 1970s. In 1982, it was bought by Drue Heinz, the international philanthropist and patron of the arts, with the intention of founding a literary retreat similar to other retreats in the United States. The routine and organization of the residency program remain those originally devised by Drue Heinz herself.

The castle stands on an isolated rock above the gorge of the river North Esk, and although only seven miles from Edinburgh is entirely surrounded by woods. In the 18th and 19th centuries, it was renowned as one of the great Romantic landscapes of Scotland and was much visited. As a residency site, the castle is now more secluded, but the landscape remains largely untouched to this day.

The Routine

No demands are made on the writers’ time during the sessions. The aim is to provide a refuge from the distractions and duties of daily life to allow the writers to concentrate fully on their writing. The writers may choose not to attend breakfast or dinner, and they may arrange readings or other entertainments amongst themselves, but there is no prescribed social activity at the castle. Nor are writers expected to give any account of their work. With these aims in mind, it should also be noted:

  1. Generally silence is maintained at the castle from 9am to 6pm.

  2. No internet service is provided at the residency, nor, to date, does the castle receive ambient signals powerful enough to support consistent internet access. Those who require continual access to the internet, whether for their work or for the purposes of leisure, should consider this point carefully before applying. Internet access is available at various local cafes, bars and libraries, and writers generally manage their internet use by visiting one or other of these establishments once or twice a week. 

Applicants with any physical disabilities are advised to consult the Administrator before applying. The castle is an ancient building with narrow entrances, many stairs and no lift.

The Residencies

Writers awarded a residency will be invited to attend one of eight annual sessions. Each session lasts four weeks. The sessions run from January to June and from September to December. The residency provides no monetary assistance to the writers, nor does it make any contribution towards traveling expenses. As guests of the residency, the writers receive full room and board for the duration of their session. Writers have the use of a private study bedroom and other communal facilities including an extensive library, studio, drawing room, garden room, as well as the castle garden, walks, woods and grounds. Breakfast and dinner are communal meals served in a dining room at set hours. Lunch is provided in a basket delivered to the writers’ rooms so as not to disrupt any working routine. All dietary requirements and preferences – vegetarian, vegan, allergies – are catered for. Laundry is taken in and linen changed once a week. Towels and dressing gowns are provided.

Hawthornden Castle Staff

Hamish Robinson, Castle Administrator
Mary Hamilton, Head Housekeeper
Debbie Inglis, Assistant Housekeeper
Ruth Shannon, Cook

Applications for Residency

Please refer to our online application form linked above.

photos by Hawthornden Staff