Pumpherston Castle (site of)


Parish: Mid Calder

County: Midlothian

Grid reference: NT 075 686

Lat / long: 55.902054, -3.480189

Alternative names: Pumpherston Farm, Pumpherstoun Castle

The historic map is an Ordnance Survey map from 1919 to 1947, and is provided by the National Library of Scotland

Pumpherston Castle is marked in Blaeu's Atlas (1662) and was described in the New Statistical Account of 1845 as "a work of great antiquity", although by that time there was nothing left to see, the last remains of the castle (including the foundations) having been removed in the late 18th century.

The castle is said to have stood to the east of the current Pumpherston Farm buildings, in a plot of 15 acres. The farmhouse is still surrounded by an old wall which may date back to the time of the castle, although the castle's gardens are said to have been in the south-east corner of the nearby field, where there is a very fertile area. Away from the main castle buildings, a look-out tower is said to have been situated at the top of the bank rising up from the River Almond.

The castle was at one time the property of the Earl of Buchan.

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created Friday, May 14th, 2010 at 2:00 pm, last updated Friday, May 14th, 2010 at 2:00 pm