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Bruntsfield House

Bruntsfield House is a much altered and extended Z-plan tower house, built on the site of an earlier castle.

The earliest building may have been built by the Broun family – Bruntsfield being derived from “Broun’s Field” – who owned the lands of the Boroughmuir. These lands were granted to William Lauder, elder brother of Alan Lauder of Haltoun, in 1381, having previously been owned by a Richard Broun.

From this moment on Bruntsfield House is said to have been used as the dower house of the Lauders of Haltoun.

The original castle was destroyed during the Rough Wooing in 1544, and was rebuilt some time during the second half of the 16th century using a Z-plan style. A main rectangular block (possibly rebuilt from an earlier building) had a large tower projecting from its south-west corner, and a smaller tower projecting from its north-east corner.

The whole ground floor was vaulted, and the kitchen was in the south-west tower. This tower had the main entrance in its east wall, with an armorial panel above. The main staircase lead directly to the first floor from this doorway. In the re-entrant angle between this tower and the main block is a corbelled-out circular tower, starting from first floor level, which contains a spiral staircase.

On the north wall of the main block, close to the re-entrant angle with the north-east wing, is a second spiral staircase tower, also corbelled-out from first floor level. On the top of this is a corbelled-out square projection which may once have contained a platform which would have given views of Edinburgh Castle.

In 1587 Sir William Lauder of Haltoun gave the house to his son, Sir Alexander Lauder, and his mother as they were estranged from the laird of Haltoun.

Sir Alexander Lauder sold Bruntsfield House to John Fairlie of Braid in 1603, and he set about remodelling and extending, building a new wing of accommodation onto the east end of the main block.

The new addition has much larger windows than the older section, particularly so on the first floor where the windows are surmounted by semi-circular pediments carved with the date 1605 and the initials IF and EW (for John Fairlie and presumably his wife), topped off with thistles.

Pediments on the dormer windows across the house also carry the initials IF and EW, suggesting that John Fairlie made changes to the roof. On the north side of the main block the square structure at the top of the round stair tower was roofed, with the angle of the pitch different to that of the surrounding roof.

The Fairlie family held the land until 1695 when another William Fairlie, the grandson of John, sold it to George Warrender of Lochend, and it would remain in the Warrender family for the next 230 years.

Some time between the 17th and 19th centuries an external staircase was added to the west wall of the main block to give access from the drawing room on the first floor to the garden. Also within this timeframe a wall was built around the property, with an arched gateway giving access just to the south of the south-west tower.

Some time before 1840 a large square porch was built in the re-entrant angle between the main block and the south-west tower, and the original entrance blocked.

The house remained in the Warrender family until 1935 when it was acquired by the Edinburgh Corporation and used as a children’s home. Some time after 1942 the porch was removed.

Bruntsfield House now forms the centrepiece of James Gillespie’s High School, with 20th century school buildings built around it.

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Alternative names for Bruntsfield House

57 Lauderdale Street; Brounysfelde; Bruntisfield House; Bruntsfield Manor; James Gillespie's High School; Marchmont; Warrender High School

Where is Bruntsfield House?

Bruntsfield House is in the parish of Edinburgh and the county of Midlothian.

Grid reference: NT 25097 72184

Lat / long: 55.936778, -3.200893

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OS Map for Bruntsfield House

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


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Directions to Bruntsfield House

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Weather at Bruntsfield House

11°C
max 15°C / min 11°C
2km/h NNW
1024mb
89%
0%
03:26 21:02

Clear sky
Weather observed at Edinburgh at 22:41

References (books)

The Grange of St. Giles
Jane Stewart Smith
Edinburgh, 1898

References (websites)

Canmore

Castles near Bruntsfield House

Burgh Muir Castle (site of)

0.5km away

Valleyfield House (possible) (site of)

0.5km away

Greenhill (possible) (site of)

0.5km away

Merchiston Castle

0.9km away

Grange House (site of)

1.1km away

Edinburgh Castle

1.3km away

Dalry (site of)

1.3km away

East Coates House

1.7km away

Braid Castle (site of)

1.9km away
more castles....
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Ancient sites near Bruntsfield House

Edinburgh Castle fort

1.3km away

Samson's Ribs fort

2.4km away

Arthur's Seat fort

2.7km away

Buck Stane standing stone

3.0km away

Wester Craiglockhart Hill fort

3.1km away

Dunsapie fort

3.2km away

Caiy Stane standing stone and rock art

3.9km away

Cat Stanes (site of) cairns

3.9km away

Camus Stone (site of) standing stone

4.1km away
more ancient sites....

Pictish stones near Bruntsfield House

Abernethy No. 2 Class III symbol stone

1.4km away

Abernethy No. 4 Class III cross shaft

1.4km away

Princes Street Gardens Class I symbol stone

1.4km away

Court Cave Class I rock carving

26.4km away

Doo Cave Class I rock carving

26.5km away

Jonathan's Cave Class I rock carving

26.8km away

Sliding Cave Class I rock carving

26.8km away

Scoonie Class II cross slab

32.3km away

East Lomond Hill Class I symbol stone

34.0km away
more Pictish stones....
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Pictish sites near Bruntsfield House

Haddington silver chain

26.4km away

Borland silver chain

32.1km away

Traprain Law silver chain

33.3km away

Todholes (possible) silver chain

33.9km away

Whitlaw silver chain

34.6km away

Norrie's Law hoard

38.6km away

Hoardweel silver chain

54.9km away

Whitecleugh silver chain

68.0km away

Dunnicaer fort

129.2km away
more Pictish sites....
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Accommodation near Bruntsfield House

Links Hotel, Edinburgh
hotel, restaurant, barEdinburgh
0.1km away
Best Western Bruntsfield Hotel
hotel, restaurant, barEdinburgh
0.4km away
Wrights Houses
self-catering apartmentEdinburgh
0.4km away
Robertson Guesthouse
bed and breakfastEdinburgh
0.6km away
Light House Hostel
hostelEdinburgh
0.6km away
Albyn Townhouse
bed and breakfastEdinburgh
0.6km away
Adam Drysdale House
bed and breakfastEdinburgh
0.6km away
Argyle Backpackers
hostelEdinburgh
0.6km away
Averon Guest House
bed and breakfastEdinburgh
0.7km away
Fountain Court Apartments - EQ2
self-catering apartmentEdinburgh
0.7km away

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more accommodation....

Cafés, restaurants & bars near Bruntsfield House

Links Hotel, Edinburgh
hotel, restaurant, barEdinburgh
0.1km away
Best Western Bruntsfield Hotel
hotel, restaurant, barEdinburgh
0.4km away
The Golf Tavern
bar, restaurantEdinburgh
0.4km away
Earl of Marchmont
barEdinburgh
0.5km away
Montpeliers Bar & Brasserie
bar, restaurantEdinburgh
0.5km away
Bennets Bar
barEdinburgh
0.6km away
Cloisters
barEdinburgh
0.7km away
Premier Inn Edinburgh Central (Lauriston Place)
hotel, restaurantEdinburgh
0.8km away
Peter's Yard Quartermile
caféEdinburgh
1.0km away
Merlin
barEdinburgh
1.0km away
more food.... / more drink....

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Published on the 14th of May 2010 at 1:54 pm. Updated on the 2nd of May 2013 at 7:25 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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