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Drylaw

Drylaw, also known as Old Drylaw House, is a ruined 17th century L-plan tower house.

The earliest reference to Drylaw seems to be in a document from 1296, which refers to a Walter of Drylaw (Walterus of Drylawe), and it is likely a castle was built to protect the lands.

Thomas Forrester was granted a charter of the lands of Drylaw in 1406 following the death of his father Sir Adam Forrester of Corstorphine the previous year.

By 1491 the estate had been divided into Easter and Wester Drylaw, although both, rather confusingly, seem to have been referred to as Drylaw in various sources. The Wester Drylaw seems to have been the more important property, appearing more prominently on later maps, and Easter Drylaw may just have been a farm attached to the castle.

The Hope family possessed Easter Drylaw in the 1550s, while the Forresters continued to own Drylaw (Wester) throughout the 15th and 16th centuries.

In 1544, Drylaw was burnt by the English under the Earl of Hertford during the Rough Wooing. Later it was rebuilt, although it is unclear exactly when.

Elizabeth Forrester, daughter of James Forrester of Corstorphine, married David Makgill of Nisbet and Cranstoun-Riddell in 1557, with Drylaw transferring to the Makgills at this time.

The Makgills seem to have either sold or rented Drylaw to the Crichton family, as by 1570 Alexander Crichton is described at the Laird of Drylaw. The property of Cranstoun-Riddell seems to have been similarly treated, as there is a reference to a William Crichton of Drylaw divorcing his wife, Beatrix Renton, because she committed adultery with his brother, James Crichton of Cranstoun-Riddell.

Sir James Makgill of Cranstoun-Riddell is listed as owning Drylaw in 1641, and it is said that the Makgill family combined both Drylaws, Easter and Wester, into one estate in 1638.

In 1641 the Makgills sold Drylaw to James Loch, whose family would own Drylaw for the next 145 years. It seems likely that the Loch family made additions to Drylaw, as there are mid-17th century details forming part of the existing ruins.

John Adair’s map of Midlothian, dating to around 1682, shows Dryla twice (presumably for Easter and Wester), with the wester portion being illustrated as a larger property.

In 1718 the Lochs of Drylaw built a new house immediately to the south of what became known as Old Drylaw House, and the older building was at some point converted into stables, incorporating late medieval gargoyles which are thought to have come from the original castle.

At this time the property was surrounded by farmland, with two farms associated with it – Drylaw Mains (located just south of Ferry Road at the top of Groathill Road North) and Easter Drylaw (located just south of the midpoint of Easter Drylaw Place). Roy’s map of 1745 shows Drylaw at the centre of extensive gardens, along with the smaller property of “E Drylaw”.

George Loch of Drylaw sold the estate to William Ramsay (later of Barnton) in 1786. William Ramsay lived at Drylaw House for “a year or two” before buying Cramond Regis (later renamed Barnton House).

At some point in relatively recent history the stables were allowed to fall into disrepair, although the new Drylaw House has been maintained and is still occupied as a private residence. Parts of the old estate were sold off, with housing estates being built on the land. The old farm of Easter Drylaw was built on in 1936 when Easter Drylaw Drive was constructed, and development continued until the 1970s.

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Alternative names for Drylaw

Drilaw; Dryla; Drylaw House; Drylawe; Old Drylaw House; Drylau; Drylay; Dryley

Clans associated with Drylaw

Forrester

Surnames associated with Drylaw

Crichton

Forrester

Hope

Where is Drylaw?

Drylaw is in the parish of Edinburgh and the county of Midlothian.

Grid reference: NT 21898 75352

Lat / long: 55.964816, -3.252731

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

OS Map for Drylaw

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


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Directions to Drylaw

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Weather at Drylaw

14°C
max 15°C / min 14°C
2km/h N
1024mb
86%
0%
03:26 21:02

Clear sky
Weather observed at Edinburgh at 22:28
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References (books)

Cassell's Old and New Edinburgh, Volume 3
James Grant
London, 1883
Kirkcaldy Of Grange
Louis Barbé
New York, 1897
Memoirs and Adventures of Sir William Kirkaldy of Grange
James Grant
Edinburgh, 1849
Scottish Arms Volume 2
R. R. Stoddart
Edinburgh, 1881
The History of the Linlithgow and Stirlingshire hunt
James H. Rutherfurd
Edinburgh, 1911
The Scots Peerage (Volume 4)
James Balfour Paul
Edinburgh, 1907
The Scots Peerage (Volume 7)
James Balfour Paul
Edinburgh, 1910

References (websites)

Listed Building record
Canmore

Castles near Drylaw

Groathill (possible) (site of)

0.6km away

Pilton (site of)

0.6km away

Muirhouse (site of)

1.1km away

Craigcrook Castle

1.4km away

Ravelston

1.4km away

Barnton Castle (site of)

1.7km away

Lauriston Castle

1.8km away

Royston Castle (site of)

2.0km away

Granton Castle (site of)

2.0km away
more castles....
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Ancient sites near Drylaw

Edinburgh Castle fort

3.7km away

Cammo Stone standing stone

4.4km away

Wester Craiglockhart Hill fort

5.4km away

Samson's Ribs fort

6.3km away

Arthur's Seat fort

6.3km away

Dunsapie fort

6.6km away

Buck Stane standing stone

6.7km away

Caiy Stane standing stone and rock art

7.4km away

Cat Stanes (site of) cairns

7.5km away
more ancient sites....
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Pictish stones near Drylaw

Princes Street Gardens Class I symbol stone

3.6km away

Abernethy No. 2 Class III symbol stone

4.4km away

Abernethy No. 4 Class III cross shaft

4.4km away

Court Cave Class I rock carving

24.9km away

Doo Cave Class I rock carving

24.9km away

Jonathan's Cave Class I rock carving

25.3km away

Sliding Cave Class I rock carving

25.3km away

Tullibole Class III cross slab

30.3km away

East Lomond Hill Class I symbol stone

30.9km away
more Pictish stones....
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Pictish sites near Drylaw

Haddington silver chain

29.6km away

Borland silver chain

33.1km away

Todholes (possible) silver chain

34.7km away

Traprain Law silver chain

36.4km away

Norrie's Law hoard

37.2km away

Whitlaw silver chain

39.1km away

Hoardweel silver chain

58.7km away

Whitecleugh silver chain

68.6km away

Dunnicaer fort

128.1km away
more Pictish sites....
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Accommodation near Drylaw

Marchfield Guest House
bed and breakfastEdinburgh
0.9km away
Holiday Inn Edinburgh City West
hotel, bar, restaurantEdinburgh
1.0km away
Almond House Lodge
bed and breakfastEdinburgh
1.8km away
Best Western Edinburgh Capital Hotel
hotel, restaurant, barEdinburgh
1.9km away
Ellersly House Hotel
hotelEdinburgh
2.0km away
Acer Lodge Guest House
bed and breakfastEdinburgh
2.1km away
Hampton Hotel
hotel, bar, restaurantEdinburgh
2.2km away
Murrayfield Hotel and Lodge
hotelEdinburgh
2.2km away
Kingsburgh House
hotelEdinburgh
2.2km away
Travelodge Edinburgh Learmonth Hotel
hotelEdinburgh
2.3km away

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Cafés, restaurants & bars near Drylaw

Holiday Inn Edinburgh City West
hotel, bar, restaurantEdinburgh
1.0km away
Best Western Edinburgh Capital Hotel
hotel, restaurant, barEdinburgh
1.9km away
Hampton Hotel
hotel, bar, restaurantEdinburgh
2.2km away
The Scran & Scallie
pub, restaurantEdinburgh
2.5km away
Cumberland Hotel
hotel, barEdinburgh
2.6km away
Holiday Inn Edinburgh
hotel, bar, restaurantEdinburgh
2.6km away
Patisserie Madeleine
caféEdinburgh
2.7km away
The Stockbridge Tap
barEdinburgh
2.7km away
Apex Haymarket Hotel
hotel, restaurant, barEdinburgh
2.8km away
Peter's Yard Stockbridge
caféEdinburgh
2.8km away
more food.... / more drink....

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Dunbar harbour and castle
Published on the 20th of January 2013 at 10:14 pm. Updated on the 21st of March 2019 at 11:14 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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