Harburn is a small village and estate in West Lothian, Scotland. [1] [2] It lies approximately 2 miles south-east of West Calder and just to the north of the Pentland Hills.
The Harburn estate is a 19th century landscaped park and country house estate, primarily laid out in 1808. [3] [1] Harburn House is a Category B listed 18th century country-house that was built in 1804 for Alexander Young (1757-1842), factor to the Duke of Hamilton. [3] [4] [5] It replaced an early property, Hayfield House and there are also records of a Harburn Castle, recorded as being fortified during Cromwell's invasions. [3] [1] [6] The stables are also early 19th century and are Category B listed. [7]
In 1832, King Charles X of France visited Harburn and a monument to his visit, in the form of a stone column was erected. [8]
Harburn village hill is a local community facility that was built in 1923 as a gift to the community from King George V for the villages contribution to the war effort at the nearby gunpowder mill. [9]
Harburn golf course is an 18 golf course on the western edge of Harburn that was created in its present location in 1932. [10]
Camilty is a plantation and forest area on the southern and eastern edge of Harburn. The area produces trees for sale as christmas trees. [11] Permission was given in 2021 for a six large wind turbines to be built on the plantation. [12]
Camilty Gunpowder mill is a large ruined powder mill on private land near the Harburn estate that produced explosives, primarily for blasting in the local shale industry. [13] [14] In the First World War the facility produced munitions and armaments. [9] The mill was in production from 1890 to 1929 and was operated by Midlothian Gunpowder Company. [13] It was later owned by Curtis and Harvey and then passed to Nobel Enterprises before being closed following a period of decline in shale mining. The mill was powered by a weir built at the end of the 19th century. [13]
Castle Greg is located on the southern edge of Harburn. The castle is the archaeological remains of a Roman fortlet. [15]
The Caledonian Railway line, built circa 1850, cuts through the north-west boundary of the Harburn Estate. [3] The nearest railway station is West Calder railway station. The B7008 forms the south-west boundary of Harburn. [3] The A70 road connecting Edinburgh with Lanark lies to the south-east of Harburn.