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Barnton Castle (site of)

Barnton Castle was a property which likely dated back to the 14th century or earlier. Around 1400 the barony of Over Barntoun was owned by a family known variously as Touris, Towers or de Turribus, long term owners of Inverleith.

But by the mid-15th century it was owned by the Crichton family. From 1439 onwards William Crichton, the 1st Lord Crichton, was the Chancellor of Scotland, and he was involved in a struggle to overthrow the powerful Black Douglas family.

In 1443 Barnton Castle was besieged and destroyed by William, the 8th Earl of Douglas. Amongst his troops was John Forrester, the Baron of Corstorphine, and in retaliation Crichton later destroyed Corstorphine Castle.

Around this time William Crichton invested heavily in another of his properties, Crichton Castle, and seemed to focus his attention there.

William Crichton died in 1455, leaving the barony to his daughter Janet, who was married to John Maxwell, Master of Maxwell. Their second son, George Maxwell, took possession of Over Barntoun, but some time before his death in 1460 sold it to Sir Archibald Dundas of Dundas.

Over Barntoun remained in the Dundas family until 1507, when Sir Archibald’s grandson, Sir William Dundas of Dundas, sold it to Sir Robert Barton.

Sir Robert Barton was a famous sea captain, and later became Lord High Treasurer of Scotland in 1529 (and again in 1534), and Master of the Mint. His son, also Robert, married Barbara Moubray of Barnbougle.

Upon his marriage this Robert Barton assumed the name and arms of Moubray or Mowbray and took up residence at Barnbougle Castle. Barntoun passed to their second son, James Mowbray, in 1548, but around 1558 he sold it to an advocate named Alexander Machan who in turn sold it to Sir James Elphinstone, the third son of Robert Elphinstone, the 3rd Lord Elphinstone, around 1580.

In 1604 Elphinstone was created the 1st Lord Balmerino, however he fell from grace over letters sent to the Pope that he forged in the name of James VI. In 1608 the King granted many of Balmerino’s possessions, including Over Barnton, Balmerino, Restalrig, Ballumbie, Dunvegan and Lewis, to Alexander Drummond of Midhope.

Barnton returned to the Lords Balmerino as the 1st Lord Balmerino’s son, John Elphinstone, 2nd Lord Balmerino, was responsible for rebuilding or extending Barnton Castle, possibly to form an L-plan tower, carving the date 1623 above on of the windows.

Barnton belonged to two further John Elphinstones, the 3rd and 4th Lords Balmerino, but the 4th Lord was forced to sell it to pay off family debts in 1680. He sold it to Sir Robert Milne, who made considerable additions to Barnton in either 1681 or 1683, with Balmerino’s section forming the north-west corner of the newer building.

Due to financial problems Milne sold Barnton to a George Hamilton of Binny, but his finances also suffered and he sold it to John Douglas-Hamilton, the first Earl of Ruglen, on the 24th of August 1698. He also made considerable additions to the house, and in 1718 he bought the neighbouring property of King’s Cramond and combined the two estates.

Hamilton was succeeded in 1744 by his daughter, Lady Anne Hamilton, Countess of Ruglen, the widow of William Douglas, the 2nd Earl of March. Their son, William Douglas, the 4th Duke of Queensberry and 3rd Earl of March, inherited Barnton upon his mother’s death in 1748, but sold it in 1770 to John Campbell, Viscount Glenorchy, the son of John Campbell, the 3rd Earl of Breadalbane.

Lord and Lady Glenorchy built a chapel to the north of the house, but Glenorchy died in 1771, and while his wife Willielma lived at Barnton from time to time, the main resident was her niece, the Countess of Sutherland. Lady Glenorchy sold the combined Barnton estate in 1785 to William Ramsay, and died the following year.

Ramsay was a director of the Royal Bank of Scotland, and around 1794 commissioned Robert Adam to remodel and extensively extend King’s Cramond for his son, George Ramsay. Once the work was complete Barnton was no longer required, and around 1800 it was demolished.

King’s Cramond was renamed Barnton House on the combined estate, although this house was also demolished, around 1920.

The site of Barnton Castle is under numbers 38 and 40 East Barnton Avenue. The name Barnton can be found in street names around the old Barnton estate, including:

Barnton Avenue
Barnton Avenue West
Barnton Brae
Barnton Grove
Barnton Loan
Barnton Park
Barnton Park Avenue
Barnton Park Crescent
Barnton Park Gardens
Barnton Park Grove
Barnton Park Place
Barnton Park View
East Barnton Avenue
East Barnton Gardens
South Barnton Avenue

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Alternative names for Barnton Castle

Barnton House; Barnton Tower; Barntoun House; Bernetoun; Over Barnton

Where is Barnton Castle?

Barnton Castle is in the parish of Edinburgh and the county of Midlothian.

Grid reference: NT 201 754

Lat / long: 55.965296, -3.280106

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

OS Map for Barnton Castle

OS map 350
Edinburgh (Musselburgh & Queensferry)
OS Explorer map 350


Directions to Barnton Castle

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Weather at Barnton Castle

15°C
max 15°C / min 14°C
30km/h WSW
1018mb
91%
75%
03:26 21:01

Light rain
Weather observed at Turnhouse at 03:36

References (books)

Antient and Modern State of the Parish of Cramond
John Philip Wood
Edinburgh, 1794
The Castles of Scotland
Martin Coventry
Prestongrange, 2015

References (websites)

Canmore

Castles near Barnton Castle

Lauriston Castle

0.7km away

Cramond Regis (site of)

1.4km away

Muirhouse (site of)

1.4km away

Craigcrook Castle

1.5km away

Drylaw

1.7km away

Whitehouse

1.8km away

Cramond Tower

1.9km away

Pilton (site of)

2.0km away

Ravelston

2.1km away
more castles....

Ancient sites near Barnton Castle

Cammo Stone standing stone

2.8km away

Edinburgh Castle fort

5.3km away

Wester Craiglockhart Hill fort

6.0km away

Buck Stane standing stone

7.6km away

Samson's Ribs fort

7.9km away

Arthur's Seat fort

7.9km away

Lochend standing stone

8.0km away

Caiy Stane standing stone and rock art

8.1km away

Dunsapie fort

8.3km away
more ancient sites....

Pictish stones near Barnton Castle

Princes Street Gardens Class I symbol stone

5.1km away

Abernethy No. 2 Class III symbol stone

6.0km away

Abernethy No. 4 Class III cross shaft

6.0km away

Court Cave Class I rock carving

25.7km away

Doo Cave Class I rock carving

25.8km away

Jonathan's Cave Class I rock carving

26.1km away

Sliding Cave Class I rock carving

26.1km away

Tullibole Class III cross slab

29.3km away

East Lomond Hill Class I symbol stone

31.0km away
more Pictish stones....
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Pictish sites near Barnton Castle

Haddington silver chain

31.3km away

Borland silver chain

32.4km away

Todholes (possible) silver chain

33.9km away

Norrie's Law hoard

38.0km away

Traprain Law silver chain

38.1km away

Whitlaw silver chain

40.4km away

Hoardweel silver chain

60.4km away

Whitecleugh silver chain

67.7km away

Dunnicaer fort

128.9km away
more Pictish sites....
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Accommodation near Barnton Castle

Acer Lodge Guest House
bed and breakfastEdinburgh
0.5km away
Marchfield Guest House
bed and breakfastEdinburgh
0.9km away
Best Western Edinburgh Capital Hotel
hotel, restaurant, barEdinburgh
1.0km away
Almond House Lodge
bed and breakfastEdinburgh
1.6km away
Ardbrae House Bed and Breakfast
bed and breakfastEdinburgh
1.8km away
Holiday Inn Edinburgh City West
hotel, bar, restaurantEdinburgh
2.4km away
Agenda Hotel
hotelEdinburgh
2.5km away
Corstorphine Lodge Hotel
bed and breakfastEdinburgh
2.5km away
Edinburgh Featherhall Garden Court Apartments
self-catering apartmentEdinburgh
2.6km away
Holiday Inn Edinburgh
hotel, bar, restaurantEdinburgh
2.6km away

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Cafés, restaurants & bars near Barnton Castle

Best Western Edinburgh Capital Hotel
hotel, restaurant, barEdinburgh
1.0km away
Holiday Inn Edinburgh City West
hotel, bar, restaurantEdinburgh
2.4km away
Holiday Inn Edinburgh
hotel, bar, restaurantEdinburgh
2.6km away
Hampton Hotel
hotel, bar, restaurantEdinburgh
3.2km away
Cumberland Hotel
hotel, barEdinburgh
3.9km away
Apex Haymarket Hotel
hotel, restaurant, barEdinburgh
4.1km away
The Scran & Scallie
pub, restaurantEdinburgh
4.1km away
Pâtisserie Jacob
caféEdinburgh
4.2km away
Patisserie Madeleine
caféEdinburgh
4.3km away
Ritz Hotel
hotel, barEdinburgh
4.4km away
more food.... / more drink....

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Dunbar harbour and castle
Published on the 2nd of May 2011 at 7:03 pm. Updated on the 15th of June 2024 at 6:51 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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