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Cairns Castle

Cairns Castle is though to have been built around 1440, and comprises of a rectangular main tower attached to which was a smaller square wing.

The castle stands on a raised mound jutting out into the Harperrig Reservoir where it is fed by the Water of Leith.

The main tower is three storeys in height, and measures around 8.3 metres by around 7.2 metres, with walls varying from 1.4m to 1.8m in thickness. The ground floor is vaulted and contained the kitchen. An arched doorway gives access to this level.

The secondary tower, the majority of which was removed around 1870, was attached to the south-east corner of the main tower, and measured around 5.5 metres square. It also had a vaulted basement, and there was an intramural spiral staircase close to the re-entrant angle to the north-east. The main entrance to the castle seems to have been a rectangular doorway on the east wall of the first floor.

While the main tower is a substantial ruin, only a lower section of the smaller wing stands. Many of the remaining details, such as the main entrance on the first floor, are now obscured by thick ivy.

Cairns Castle was the seat of the Crichtons of Cairns. In 1418 a Stephan de Crechtoun is described as “de Carnis”, and it is thought that his son, George de Crychtoun, built Cairns Castle around 1440. George would later be created Earl of Caithness in 1452 by James II. The Cairns estate may have later passed to the Tennant family.

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Alternative names for Cairns Castle

Cairns Tower; Carnys; East Cairns Castle; Easter Cairns

Where is Cairns Castle?

Cairns Castle is in the parish of Mid Calder and the county of Midlothian.

Grid reference: NT 09036 60509

Lat / long: 55.829167, -3.45373

Bing Maps | Google Maps | Historic maps (NLS) | OpenStreetMap | Ordnance Survey | PastMap | Streetmap | Wikimapia

OS Map for Cairns Castle

Pentland Hills (Penicuik & West Linton)
OS Explorer map 344


Directions to Cairns Castle

Enter a starting point

  • 125x125 THISTLE

Weather at Cairns Castle

5°C
max 6°C / min 3°C
19km/h WSW
1018mb
87%
75%
08:31 16:15

Broken clouds
Weather observed at Kirknewton at 14:59

References (books)

The Castellated and Domestic Architecture of Scotland Volume 5
David MacGibbon
Edinburgh, 1892
The Castles of Scotland
Martin Coventry
Prestongrange, 2015
The history and antiquities of the parish of Mid-Calder
Hardy Bertram McCall
Edinburgh, 1894

References (websites)

Canmore

Castles near Cairns Castle

East Colzium

2.0km away

Linnhous

3.7km away

Castle Greg (possible) (site of)

4.3km away

Broadshaw (site of)

4.5km away

Harburn (site of)

4.6km away

Murieston Castle

5.0km away

Ormiston Castle (site of)

6.0km away

Cairnmuir House

7.0km away

Calder House

7.0km away
more castles....

Ancient sites near Cairns Castle

Kaimes Hill fort

7.3km away

Huly Hill barrow and standing stones

12.5km away

Lochend standing stone

12.6km away

Wester Yardhouses souterrain

13.0km away

Gala Braes standing stones

13.7km away

Castle Law fort

14.2km away

Castle Law souterrain

14.3km away

Calla broch

15.3km away

Glencorse rock art

15.7km away
more ancient sites....

Pictish stones near Cairns Castle

Princes Street Gardens Class I symbol stone

20.6km away

Abernethy No. 2 Class III symbol stone

21.1km away

Abernethy No. 4 Class III cross shaft

21.1km away

Hawkhill Class III cross-slab

37.3km away

Tullibole Class III cross slab

40.4km away

Court Cave Class I rock carving

44.3km away

Doo Cave Class I rock carving

44.4km away

Jonathan's Cave Class I rock carving

44.7km away

Sliding Cave Class I rock carving

44.8km away
more Pictish stones....

Pictish sites near Cairns Castle

Borland silver chain

14.6km away

Todholes (possible) silver chain

15.8km away

Whitlaw silver chain

42.6km away

Haddington silver chain

44.4km away

Whitecleugh silver chain

49.2km away

Traprain Law silver chain

51.3km away

Norrie's Law hoard

56.7km away

Hoardweel silver chain

69.6km away

Dunnicaer fort

147.6km away
more Pictish sites....

Accommodation near Cairns Castle

A Room In The Country
bed and breakfastKirknewton
5.4km away
Mercure Livingston
hotelLivingston
7.1km away
Marriott Dalmahoy Hotel & Country Club
hotelKirknewton
10.4km away
Premier Inn Livingston (M8, Jct3)
hotel, restaurantLivingston
10.5km away
Macdonald Houstoun House
hotel, restaurant, barUphall
11.5km away
Premier Inn Livingston (Bathgate)
hotel, restaurantLivingston
12.1km away
Heriot-Watt University
hotelEdinburgh
12.2km away
Norton House Hotel & Spa
hotel, restaurant, barEdinburgh
12.3km away
Cairn Hotel, Bathgate
hotelBathgate
12.4km away
Kaim Park Hotel
hotelBathgate
12.8km away

Accommodation search

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more accommodation....

Cafés, restaurants & bars near Cairns Castle

Premier Inn Livingston (M8, Jct3)
hotel, restaurantLivingston
10.5km away
Macdonald Houstoun House
hotel, restaurant, barUphall
11.5km away
Premier Inn Livingston (Bathgate)
hotel, restaurantLivingston
12.1km away
Norton House Hotel & Spa
hotel, restaurant, barEdinburgh
12.3km away
Hostival – Carnival Camp
hostel, campsite, barEdinburgh
13.5km away
Whitmuir The Organic Place
café, restaurantWest Linton
13.8km away
Best Western Hilcroft Hotel
hotel, restaurant, barWhitburn
14.2km away
Premier Inn Edinburgh Park (The Gyle)
hotel, restaurant, café, barEdinburgh
14.3km away
Holiday Inn Edinburgh
hotel, bar, restaurantEdinburgh
17.2km away
Craigie’s farm deli and café
caféSouth Queensferry
17.2km away
more food.... / more drink....

Related pages

Two lesser-visited castles in Perthshire
Two lesser-visited castles in Perthshire
Jousting at Linlithgow Palace and three castles in Edinburgh
Jousting at Linlithgow Palace and three castles in Edinburgh
A grey walk in North Berwick
A grey walk in North Berwick
A quick tour of Perthshire
A quick tour of Perthshire
Wet and windswept antiquities in Berwickshire
Wet and windswept antiquities in Berwickshire
Cairns Castle and Harperrig Reservoir
Cairns Castle and Harperrig Reservoir
Published on the 14th of May 2010 at 1:57 pm. Updated on the 16th of February 2020 at 2:11 pm.

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Andy Sweet above Fast Castle

Stravaiging around Scotland is written, photographed and researched by Andy Sweet.
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