While the centerpiece of the Seton Family was the Palace of Seton, Winton House, or the earlier Winton Castle, was the private family retreat and was a residence originally established by the de Quincy Family.  The Seton's obtained the lands both through marriage and after the de Quincy forfeiture in 1152, and it was Philip de Seton who obtained a Royal Charter confirming the lands of Winton to the family in 1169.  The original house was a rectangular tower which was rebuilt by subsequent generations.

Winton Castle was the first in a series built on the current spot which consisted of a tower house of four stories, with various out-buildings and a defensive curtain wall. The castle was burnt by the English Earl of Hertford during the "Rough Wooing" in 1544, and largely destroyed as a result.  Winton House was rebuilt by the 1st Earl of Winton, using the remains of the older castle, and rebuilt again by the 3rd Earl of Winton in the early 17th century who created the house as it is now and added the embellishments that Winton House is known for. Email: info@wintonhouse.co.uk