Curriehill Castle

Curriehill Castle was said to have been of some importance in the 16th century, although nothing now remains of it, except for the street name Curriehill Castle Drive.

The site occupies the high point of a ridge between the Water of Leith to the south and the Murray Burn to the north.

In the 16th century Curriehill was occupied by the Skene family, with Sir John Skene being created Lord Curriehill in 1594 when he was appointed Lord Clerk Register and Lord of Session. However they may have been renting the property initially, or it may have been in another branch of the family, as a charter states that the lands of Curriehill were bought by Sir John Skene in 1594 for 20,000 merks.

The same family owned Hallyards Castle further to the west.

During the time of Mary Queen of Scots, Curriehill Castle was one of six castles on the Water of Leith, three on each side, involved in a campaign by the Regent, the Earl of Morton, against the Queen. While Lennox Tower across the Water of Leith was loyal to the Queen, Curriehill was held in favour of her infant son, James VI.

In December 1656, Sir John’s son, also Sir John Skene, sold Curriehill to a Samuel Johnstone and apparently left for Germany with a regiment of foot he had himself raised. This may be connected in some way with many Skenes going into exile and entering the service of Gustav II Adolf of Sweden 20 years earlier following Clan Skene’s support for Charles I. Johnstone was an advocate whose sister Rachel was married to Sir James Skene of Curriehill.

By the late 18th century the castle was in ruins. During the first half of the 19th century, John Marshall, a barrister in Edinburgh and later created Lord Curriehill, bought the estate of Curriehill, which included the ruins of the castle.

In 1856 Curriehill House was built for Marshall, and two small portions of castle wall were apparently incorporated into the walls of a barn. In the 1960s the barn was still standing, although it was unclear if any of its walls represented part of Curriehill Castle.

In the 1970s a housing estate was built around Curriehill House but nothing remains of Curriehill Castle.