| Liberton Tower | |
|---|---|
| Edinburgh, Scotland | |
 Liberton Tower | |
  Liberton Tower | |
| Coordinates | 55°54′52″N3°10′38″W / 55.9145774°N 3.1773502°W |
| Site history | |
| Built | 15th century |
Liberton Tower is a four-storey, square-plan tower house in the Edinburgh suburb of Liberton, on the east side of the Braid Hills.
Located in Over or Upper Liberton, it was originally owned by the Dalmahoy family, whose arms appear on a carved panel on the south wall. Records of it being in their possession date back to 1453, but the provenance of the tower before that is not known. [1]
It passed to a branch of the Forrester family of Corstorphine, before being sold to William Little, who was Provost of Edinburgh in 1586 and 1591. Provost Little built the nearby Liberton House, and the castle was abandoned in 1610, being subsequently used for agricultural storage. [2]
Deposits of charcoal as well as smashed pottery suggest that the tower was caught up in the fighting around Edinburgh in 1650, when Cromwell invaded Edinburgh as part of the Anglo-Scottish War. [3] Other evidence to this effect is the removal of the parapets, damage to the tower and the finding of cannonballs in nearby fields. [3]
Liberton Tower provides a good example of a typical noble residence of its period, one of the relatively few that were not substantially altered in later centuries. [4] Featureless except for its small, asymmetrically arranged windows, it is coated in distinctive yellow harling and has been described as "grim and ponderous". [4] The tower is rectangular in plan, being 34 feet 9 inches (10.59 m) along the east–west axis and 25 feet 9 inches (7.85 m) along the north–south axis. [3]
The 15th-century structure is well preserved and was restored in 1994. It is used for holiday lets. [5] [6]
Craigmillar Castle is a ruined medieval castle in Edinburgh, Scotland. It is three miles (4.8 km) south-east of the city centre, on a low hill to the south of the modern suburb of Craigmillar. The Preston family of Craigmillar, the local feudal barons, began building the castle in the late 14th century and building works continued through the 15th and 16th centuries. In 1660, the castle was sold to Sir John Gilmour, Lord President of the Court of Session, who breathed new life into the ageing castle. The Gilmours left Craigmillar in the 18th century for a more modern residence, nearby Inch House, and the castle fell into ruin. It is now in the care of Historic Environment Scotland as a scheduled monument, and is open to the public.
Cameron Toll is a suburb located to the south of Edinburgh, Scotland. Originally it was the site of a toll house built in the early 19th century, which was located on a stretch of road between Edinburgh and Dalkeith. Today the area is home to Cameron Toll Shopping Centre, which opened in 1984. The meaning of the name Cameron is suggested to be 'crooked hill', derived from the Scots Gaelic 'cam', crooked, and Old Irish 'brun' meaning hill, believed to refer to Arthur's Seat clearly visible nearby; the original name may have been Pictish. There are a few small housing estates to the east of the area.
Mortonhall is an area of Edinburgh, Scotland, on the south edge of the city.
MacLellan's Castle in the town of Kirkcudbright, in Galloway, Scotland, was built in the late 16th century. It stands in the centre of Kirkcudbright, on the south side of the River Dee which flows into the Solway Firth. The L-plan castle was the residence of the MacLellan family from whom it derived its name. The family sold the castle in 1752, and from 1782 to 1912 it was held by the Earls of Selkirk. Today, the site is in the care of Historic Environment Scotland.
Merchiston Tower, also known as Merchiston Castle, was probably built by Alexander Napier, the 2nd Laird of Merchiston around 1454. It serves as the seat for Clan Napier. It was the home of John Napier, the 8th Laird of Merchiston and the inventor of logarithms, who was born there in 1550.
Lauriston Castle is a 16th-century tower house with 19th-century extensions overlooking the Firth of Forth, in Edinburgh, Scotland. It lies on Cramond Road South, between Cramond, Davidson's Mains, and Silverknowes. The substantial grounds, Lauriston Castle Gardens, operate as a local park. The castle was bequeathed to the Edinburgh Corporation and hosts the Lord Provost's annual Garden Party. The house is a Category A listed building and the grounds are included in the Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes in Scotland.
Liberton is a suburb of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. It is in the south of the city, south of The Inch, east of the Braid Hills and west of Moredun.
Little France is a suburb of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. It is on the A7, approximately 4 miles (6.4 km) south of the city centre.
Moredun is a district in the south-east of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. It is east of Liberton, while Craigour is situated just to its north.
Fatlips Castle is a peel tower in Roxburghshire, in the Scottish Borders. Situated at the top of Minto Crags, above the River Teviot, it was built in the 16th century by the Turnbulls of Barnhills, notorious Border reivers, and owners of nearby Barnhills Tower and farm. In 1545, during the War of the Rough Wooing, the Earl of Hertford burned "Mantoncrake", or Mynto Crag.
Auldhame Castle is a ruined L-plan tower house standing on a ridge above Seacliff beach, about 3 miles east of North Berwick in East Lothian, and less than half a mile from Tantallon Castle.
Glengarnock Castle is one of the ancient ruined fortifications of Ayrshire. Its keep is located on a remote rocky promontory overlooking the River Garnock about 2 miles (3.2 km) north of the town of Kilbirnie in North Ayrshire, Scotland. There is no clear account of when this was erected or by whom, but it may have been built by the Cunningham family or by the Riddels who preceded them. The Barony of Glengarnock is one of three feudal baronies which together form the parish of Kilbirnie in the district of Cunningham which lies in north Ayrshire. The River Garnock flows through the village of the same name 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) to the south, but the name Glen Garnock applies more specifically to the ravine at Glengarnock Castle.
Dumbiedykes is a residential area in the centre of Edinburgh, Scotland. It mainly comprises public housing developments.
Northfield House is a seventeenth-century historic house at Preston, East Lothian, Scotland, UK. It is situated very close to Hamilton House and Preston Tower, and one mile east to Prestongrange House and the Royal Musselburgh Golf Club. It is a Category A listed building.
Craigcrook Castle is a 6,701 square feet (622.5 m2) castle giving its name to the Craigcrook district of Edinburgh, about 3 miles (4.8 km) west of the centre of Edinburgh, Scotland. The castle is primarily of the 17th century, though with later additions. In the 19th century, it was the home of Francis Jeffrey, Lord Jeffrey, and became known for its literary gatherings. It is a category B listed building.
Esslemont Castle is a ruined tower house in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It is located on the A920 west of Ellon and is designated a scheduled ancient monument.
Inch House, a former country house situated within Inch Park in Edinburgh, Scotland, is a category A listed building. The oldest part, a Scottish vernacular L-plan tower house, dates from the early 17th century. From 1660 it was owned by the Gilmour family, who arranged for additions and extensions to the house in the 18th and 19th centuries. It was sold to the then Edinburgh Corporation in 1945. Since then it has been used as a primary school and more recently as a community centre.
Lochwood Tower, also known as Lochwood Castle, is a ruined 16th-century L-plan tower house situated in Annandale about 6 miles (9.7 km) south of the town of Moffat in the modern county of Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. It was the seat of the Clan Johnstone.
William Little of Liberton (1525–1601) was a 16th-century Scottish merchant and landowner who served as Lord Provost of Edinburgh 1586/87 and 1591/92. He was one of the founders of Edinburgh University.
Lawthorn is a hamlet near Perceton in Strathannick, Irvine, North Ayrshire, Scotland. The settlement lies on the old Irvine to Stewarton toll road.
