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Merchiston Castle

Merchiston Castle is a 15th century castle which is famous for being the birthplace in 1550 of John Napier, the discoverer of logarithms, and the 8th Laird of Merchiston.

The castle is thought to have been built around 1454 by Sir Alexander Napier, 2nd Laird of Merchiston. Sir Alexander’s son, Sir John Napier, 3rd Laird of Merchiston, married Elizabeth Menteith, a daughter of Murdoch Menteith of Rusky and a granddaughter of Margaret, sister of Isabella, Countess of Lennox. In 1460 the Countess of Lennox, eldest daughter of Donnchadh, Earl of Lennox, died. Her sons and husband had predeceased her, as had her two sisters, Elizabeth and Margaret, and so the Earldom of Lennox was divided between her sister’s heirs and Elizabeth Menteith inherited a quarter of the Earldom.

Elizabeth’s sister, Agnes Menteith, who married John Haldane of Gleneagles, also inherited a quarter of the Earldom, while Sir John Stewart of Darnley inherited the other half of the Earldom. In 1493 John Haldane and his son, James, reached an agreement with Sir John whereby they renounced their claims over the superiority and tenandry of their quarter of the Earldom.

In May 1490 Elizabeth Menteith and her son, Archibald Napier of Edinbellie, reached an agreement with John, Earl of Lennox, whereby they renounced their claims over the superiority and tenandry of their quarter of the Earldom.

The tower passed in and out of Napier hands over five centuries, and in 1833 William Napier, the 9th Lord Napier, let the castle to Charles Chalmers, who established Merchiston Castle School in the building.

The school moved to Colinton in 1930, and by 1935 the castle had passed to the Edinburgh Corporation. It remained unoccupied and deteriorating until 1956 when it was decided that the castle would be the centrepiece in the development of the new Napier Technical College (now Napier University).

Originally a five-storey L-plan tower and surrounded by a barmkin wall, it had a drawbridge at second floor level some 4.3m above the ground (discovered during the restoration work in 1958).

The castle is built on a rocky outcrop – hard to envisage with all the concrete surrounding it, but still visible at the base of the tower in places.

In the late 17th century the present roof and buildings above the parapet walk were added, possibly by the Lowis family.

A number of outbuildings were added while the castle was being used as a school, although these were removed during renovation work. One extension remains to the north, now pierced by a corridor connecting the castle to other campus buildings.

Within Merchiston Castle is an ornate painted ceiling dating to 1581, which was removed from Prestongrange House.

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Alternative names for Merchiston Castle

Marchinstoune; Marchiston Tower; Markinchestoun; Markinchistoun; Merchingstoun; Merchiston Tower

Clans associated with Merchiston Castle

Napier

Surnames associated with Merchiston Castle

Napier

Where is Merchiston Castle?

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

Grid reference: NT 2425 7180

Lat / long: 55.933316, -3.213975

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

OS Map for Merchiston Castle

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


Directions to Merchiston Castle

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Weather at Merchiston Castle

14°C
max 15°C / min 14°C
4km/h NNE
1024mb
86%
0%
03:26 21:02

Clear sky
Weather observed at Edinburgh at 21:30

References (books)

The Castellated and Domestic Architecture of Scotland Volume 3
David MacGibbon
Edinburgh, 1889
The Castles of Scotland
Martin Coventry
Prestongrange, 2015

References (websites)

Canmore
Wikipedia

Castles near Merchiston Castle

Greenhill (possible) (site of)

0.4km away

Burgh Muir Castle (site of)

0.8km away

Bruntsfield House

0.9km away

Valleyfield House (possible) (site of)

1.1km away

Dalry (site of)

1.1km away

Meggetland (possible) (site of)

1.2km away

Craig House

1.4km away

Braid Castle (site of)

1.6km away

Grange House (site of)

1.7km away
more castles....
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Ancient sites near Merchiston Castle

Edinburgh Castle fort

1.9km away

Wester Craiglockhart Hill fort

2.2km away

Buck Stane standing stone

2.6km away

Samson's Ribs fort

3.3km away

Caiy Stane standing stone and rock art

3.4km away

Cat Stanes (site of) cairns

3.5km away

Arthur's Seat fort

3.6km away

Camus Stone (site of) standing stone

3.7km away

Dunsapie fort

4.1km away
more ancient sites....
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Pictish stones near Merchiston Castle

Princes Street Gardens Class I symbol stone

1.9km away

Abernethy No. 2 Class III symbol stone

2.2km away

Abernethy No. 4 Class III cross shaft

2.2km away

Court Cave Class I rock carving

27.0km away

Doo Cave Class I rock carving

27.1km away

Jonathan's Cave Class I rock carving

27.4km away

Sliding Cave Class I rock carving

27.5km away

Scoonie Class II cross slab

33.0km away

East Lomond Hill Class I symbol stone

34.4km away
more Pictish stones....
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Pictish sites near Merchiston Castle

Haddington silver chain

27.2km away

Borland silver chain

31.3km away

Todholes (possible) silver chain

33.1km away

Traprain Law silver chain

34.1km away

Whitlaw silver chain

34.9km away

Norrie's Law hoard

39.2km away

Hoardweel silver chain

55.6km away

Whitecleugh silver chain

67.2km away

Dunnicaer fort

129.9km away
more Pictish sites....
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Accommodation near Merchiston Castle

Albyn Townhouse
bed and breakfastEdinburgh
0.5km away
Royal Ettrick Hotel
hotelEdinburgh
0.5km away
Robertson Guesthouse
bed and breakfastEdinburgh
0.5km away
Granville Guesthouse
hotelEdinburgh
0.5km away
Kaimes Guest House
hotelEdinburgh
0.6km away
NB's Guest House
hotelEdinburgh
0.6km away
Martins Guest House
bed and breakfastEdinburgh
0.6km away
Wrights Houses
self-catering apartmentEdinburgh
0.6km away
15 Merchiston Gardens Bed & Breakfast
bed and breakfastEdinburgh
0.6km away
Best Western Bruntsfield Hotel
hotel, restaurant, barEdinburgh
0.8km away

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Cafés, restaurants & bars near Merchiston Castle

Montpeliers Bar & Brasserie
bar, restaurantEdinburgh
0.4km away
Merlin
barEdinburgh
0.5km away
Best Western Bruntsfield Hotel
hotel, restaurant, barEdinburgh
0.8km away
Links Hotel, Edinburgh
hotel, restaurant, barEdinburgh
0.8km away
Caley Sample Room
bar, restaurantEdinburgh
0.9km away
The Waiting Room
barEdinburgh
0.9km away
Ardmillan Hotel
hotel, barEdinburgh
1.0km away
The Golf Tavern
bar, restaurantEdinburgh
1.0km away
Morningside Glory
barEdinburgh
1.0km away
Bennets Bar
barEdinburgh
1.2km away
more food.... / more drink....

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A doocot, a castle and a beach in East Lothian
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Dunbar harbour and castle
Published on the 14th of May 2010 at 2:00 pm. Updated on the 6th of September 2021 at 5:38 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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