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Houstoun House


Houstoun House today is a large late 16th century L-plan tower house which forms the centrepiece of the Macdonald Houstoun House complex.

The earliest mention of the lands of Houstoun is in a charter of 1342, when David II granted them to William Douglas. The lands were later owned by the Houstoun family until 1569, when they were bought by Sir John Shairp, an advocate to Mary Queen of Scots.

In 1598 Shairp began building an L-plan tower house on a raised ridge, with the main block running approximately east-west, and a wing projecting to the north from the east end of the main block.

There seems to have been an armorial panel in the east end of the main block, although the stone niche is now home to a modern wooden panel inserted following restoration in the 20th century. It carries the initials JS and MC, for John Shairp and his third wife Margaret Collace of Muirtown, and the date 1598, along with KK, PR and the date 1969, for the then owner Keith Knight and his wife Penelope Rudd.

It is likely that Shairp’s tower house incorporated an earlier keep, as the walls at the south-east corner of the main block are much thicker than elsewhere. An internal wall two thirds of the way along this block is also very thick, marking the probable western edge of the original castle. On the first and second floors are the remains of intramural spiral staircases, the stairs of which have been removed.

A courtyard extended to the north, where it met a two storey north range of ancillary buildings with vaulted basements. The entrance into the courtyard was an arched gateway at the north end of the east wall.

Following Sir John’s death in 1607, Houstoun House passed to his son, also Sir John Shairp, who added to the property. A new north wing was added to the west end of the main block, containing a kitchen in its vaulted basement. This made the house U-plan in shape.

In the 1730s further work was carried out, with a wall built between the two projecting wings to make the house almost square in plan, and the addition of a new stair tower to the north-east corner of the house in 1737.

Houstoun House remained in the Shairp family until 1945, when it was sold to the architect Ian Gordon Lindsay, who had rented it from 1940 to 1945. His architectural practice was initially run from the basement.

Lindsay died in 1966, and in 1969 and 1970 Houston House was refurbished and converted into a hotel by the architects Wheeler & Sproson. The main addition was a low bedroom wing to the east of the courtyard, and a glass-fronted porch on the east wall of the main house.

In 1980 more bedroom accommodation was added to the north of the courtyard, this time in an old-fashioned style with crow-stepped gables to match the main house. In 1995 and 1998 the architects Crerar & Partners built further accommodation, a function room and leisure facilities in a similar, sympathetic style.

Houstoun House is now operated as the Macdonald Houstoun House hotel.

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Alternative names for Houstoun House

Houstain; Houston House; Hughston

Where is Houstoun House?

Houstoun House is in the parish of Uphall and the county of West Lothian.

Grid reference:NT 05264 71334

Lat / long:55.925665,-3.5179

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OS Map for Houstoun House

OS map 349
Falkirk, Cumbernauld & Livingston (Linlithgow, Bathgate & Kilsyth)
OS Explorer map 349


Directions to Houstoun House

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Weather at Houstoun House

5°C
max 6°C / min 4°C
30km/h WSW
1024mb
83%
40%
07:53 17:03

Scattered clouds
Weather observed at West Lothian at 09:56

References (books)

The Castellated and Domestic Architecture of Scotland Volume 2
David MacGibbon
Edinburgh, 1887
The Castles of Scotland
Martin Coventry
Prestongrange, 2015

References (websites)

Canmore
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Castles near Houstoun House

Strathbrock Castle (site of)

0.6km away

Kirkhill House

2.4km away

Newyearfield (site of)

3.1km away

Pumpherston Castle (site of)

3.5km away

Peel of Livingston (site of)

3.9km away

Ochiltree Castle

4.0km away

Tartraven Old Castle (possible)

4.4km away

Calder House

4.5km away

Tartraven Castle (site of)

5.0km away
more castles....

Ancient sites near Houstoun House

Gala Braes standing stones

6.5km away

Hopetoun Wood standing stone

6.7km away

Gormyre standing stone

7.1km away

Huly Hill barrow and standing stones

7.2km away

Lochend standing stone

7.5km away

Castlethorn fort

7.8km away

Castlethorn standing stones

7.8km away

Kaimes Hill fort

9.2km away

Tantallen Hill (possible) (site of) souterrain

10.4km away
more ancient sites....
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Pictish stones near Houstoun House

Princes Street Gardens Class I symbol stone

19.8km away

Abernethy No. 2 Class III symbol stone

20.6km away

Abernethy No. 4 Class III cross shaft

20.6km away

Hawkhill Class III cross-slab

26.1km away

Tullibole Class III cross slab

29.4km away

Court Cave Class I rock carving

38.7km away

Doo Cave Class I rock carving

38.8km away

Jonathan's Cave Class I rock carving

39.1km away

Sliding Cave Class I rock carving

39.2km away
more Pictish stones....
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Pictish sites near Houstoun House

Borland silver chain

25.2km away

Todholes (possible) silver chain

25.7km away

Haddington silver chain

46.2km away

Whitlaw silver chain

50.2km away

Norrie's Law hoard

50.7km away

Traprain Law silver chain

53.1km away

Whitecleugh silver chain

56.7km away

Hoardweel silver chain

74.2km away

Dunnicaer fort

140.9km away
more Pictish sites....
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Accommodation near Houstoun House

Macdonald Houstoun House
hotel, restaurant, barUphall
0.0km away
Premier Inn Livingston (M8, Jct3)
hotel, restaurantLivingston
1.3km away
Mercure Livingston
hotelLivingston
4.4km away
Premier Inn Livingston (Bathgate)
hotel, restaurantLivingston
6.5km away
Kaim Park Hotel
hotelBathgate
7.3km away
Cairn Hotel, Bathgate
hotelBathgate
7.8km away
West Port
hotelLinlithgow
8.1km away
Norton House Hotel & Spa
hotel, restaurant, barEdinburgh
8.4km away
A Room In The Country
bed and breakfastKirknewton
8.8km away
Quality Hotel Edinburgh Airport
hotelEdinburgh
9.3km away

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bed and breakfasts
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Cafés, restaurants & bars near Houstoun House

Macdonald Houstoun House
hotel, restaurant, barUphall
0.0km away
Premier Inn Livingston (M8, Jct3)
hotel, restaurantLivingston
1.3km away
Premier Inn Livingston (Bathgate)
hotel, restaurantLivingston
6.5km away
Norton House Hotel & Spa
hotel, restaurant, barEdinburgh
8.4km away
Hostival – Carnival Camp
hostel, campsite, barEdinburgh
9.4km away
Premier Inn Edinburgh (South Queensferry)
hotel, restaurantEdinburgh
9.6km away
Premier Inn Edinburgh Airport (Newbridge)
hotel, restaurantEdinburgh
10.2km away
The Two Bridges
restaurantSouth Queensferry
10.8km away
Best Western Hilcroft Hotel
hotel, restaurant, barWhitburn
11.6km away
Craigie’s farm deli and café
caféSouth Queensferry
11.6km away
more food.... / more drink....

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Dunbar harbour and castle
Published on the 12th of June 2011 at 11:25 am. Updated on the 30th of January 2021 at 10:39 am.

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Andy Sweet above Fast Castle

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