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Old Mertoun House

Mertoun House, now known as Old Mertoun House, is a 17th century house built around the core of an older tower.

The early history of the lands of Mertoun is unclear. An Adam of Merton is mentioned as a juror in an inquest regarding the lands of Hop-Kailzie in 1259. In 1292 John, abbot of Newbattle, resigned “land which belonged to Resum son of Robert in the tenement of Mertoun” in favour of Sir William Bisset, to be held by his heirs in perpetuity in exchange for an annual fee of forty shillings. This transaction is referred to again in 1312 when Gervase, the abbot of Newbattle refers to the “three marks annual return he used to annually receive from Sir William Bisset of Mertoun and his heirs for a certain land in the tenement of Mertoun”.

In the first half of the 15th century an Isabel de Mertoun married a member of the Haliburton family, and Mertoun passed to their son William Haliburton. It is almost certain that a castle would have been built here by this time, although what form it took is unclear. Given the style of neighbouring castles from that period it is not unreasonable to assume that it took the form of a strong square tower. This castle was burned by the Earl of Hertford in 1545.

The castle was presumably rebuilt as nearby a beehive doocot was built in the 16th century. Rising to a height of around 9.1m and measuring around 4.5m in diameter, the doocot is divided into four sections by string courses and features an opening at the top to allow birds in and out. The date 1576 is carved over the doorway which is said to make it the oldest dated doocot in Scotland.

The castle appears on Gordon’s map as Martine and in Blaeu’s Atlas of Scotland as Martoun Tour.

A description of the province of the Merche
Robert Gordon, c.1636-1652

Merce or Shirrefdome of Berwick
Joan Blaeu, Amsterdam, 1654

The last Haliburton to live at Mertoun seems to have been John Haliburton of Mertoun who died in 1640, and some time after this the barony was acquired by Sir William Scott of Harden. The old baronial estate included the house, doocot, associated park, the kirklands of the parish church and the hamlet of Myretoun or Mertoun.

Sir William is described in a ratification charter of 1649 as the “heritable proprietor of the lands and barony of Mertoun”. A park associated with Mertoun House is mentioned in the same year, and may have been a lightly-wooded deer park. Sir William’s son, also Sir William, made Mertoun the family’s main seat and his brother, Sir Gideon Scott of Highchesters, took up residence at Harden.

The tower is thought to have been remodelled in 1677, that date appearing carved above the doorway. It may have been at this time that the dormer windows were added. By this time the house was oblong in plan and consisted of two storeys plus an attic with crow-stepped gables at each end.

In 1703 Sir William’s grandson, also Sir William, began work on a new house, designed by Sir William Bruce, which became the family’s main residence. Over time the estate was extensively landscaped, with the village removed and a walled garden created around what had become known as Old Mertoun House in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

In 1912 the Scotts sold the estate to John Egerton, Viscount Brackley (later 4th Earl of Ellesmere), and moved back to Harden. Viscount Brackley carried out further work on the new Mertoun House and the wider estate, and some time after 1915 the old house appears to have been remodelled.

Upon the Earl’s death in 1944 the estate passed to his son, also John, 5th Earl of Ellesmere, who became 6th Duke of Sutherland in 1963 when his distant cousin the 5th Duke died without an immediate male heir.

The Duke sold several masterpieces from the family’s extensive art collection to fund the development of the gardens and in 1984 he established the Mertoun Gardens Trust, opening the gardens to the public. Old Mertoun House is now home to the head gardener.

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Alternative names for Old Mertoun House

Martin House; Martine; Martoun Tour; Merton House; Mertoun House

Where is Old Mertoun House?

Old Mertoun House is in the parish of Mertoun and the county of Berwickshire.

Grid reference: NT 61984 31951

Lat / long: 55.579718, -2.604563

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OS Map for Old Mertoun House

OS map 338
Galashiels, Selkirk & Melrose (St Boswell’s & Lauder)
OS Explorer map 338


OS map 339
Kelso, Coldstream & Lower Tweed Valley
OS Explorer map 339


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Directions to Old Mertoun House

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Weather at Old Mertoun House

13°C
max 13°C / min 13°C
20km/h NE
1027mb
68%
67%
04:01 20:12

Broken clouds
Weather observed at Saint Boswells at 11:59

References (books)

The Castles of Scotland
Martin Coventry
Prestongrange, 2015

References (websites)

Listed Building record
Canmore
Wikipedia
Mertoun Gardens
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Castles near Old Mertoun House

Littledean Tower

1.4km away

Maxton (site of)

1.8km away

Lessudden House

2.2km away

Whitrig (site of)

2.6km away

Dryburgh Abbey House

2.7km away

Lessudden Bastle (site of)

2.7km away

Commendator's House

2.8km away

Mantle House

2.9km away

Bemersyde

3.1km away
more castles....
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Ancient sites near Old Mertoun House

Littledean fort

1.4km away

Brothers' Stones standing stone

4.0km away

Newstead (site of) souterrains

5.7km away

Eildon Hill North fort

6.5km away

Earlston standing stone

8.1km away

Cambridge standing stone

16.7km away

Torwoodlee broch and fort

16.7km away

Bruntaburn Mill standing stone

18.0km away

Bow Castle broch

18.6km away
more ancient sites....

Pictish stones near Old Mertoun House

Borthwick Mains Class I symbol stone

25.5km away

Abernethy No. 2 Class III symbol stone

55.0km away

Abernethy No. 4 Class III cross shaft

55.0km away

Princes Street Gardens Class I symbol stone

55.7km away

Court Cave Class I rock carving

70.7km away

Doo Cave Class I rock carving

70.7km away

Jonathan's Cave Class I rock carving

70.8km away

Sliding Cave Class I rock carving

70.8km away

Abercrombie 1 Class III cross slab

72.1km away
more Pictish stones....
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Pictish sites near Old Mertoun House

Whitlaw silver chain

20.0km away

Hoardweel silver chain

32.7km away

Haddington silver chain

42.8km away

Traprain Law silver chain

43.0km away

Borland silver chain

57.5km away

Todholes (possible) silver chain

59.6km away

Norrie's Law hoard

78.2km away

Whitecleugh silver chain

81.4km away

Dunnicaer fort

154.9km away
more Pictish sites....
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Accommodation near Old Mertoun House

The Buccleuch Arms Hotel
hotelSt Boswells
3.2km away
Melrose SYHA Hostel
hostelMelrose
7.3km away
George & Abbotsford Hotel
hotel, barMelrose
7.6km away
The Roxburghe Hotel & Golf Course
hotelRoxburgh
8.9km away
Huntlywood Granary
bed and breakfastEarlston
11.0km away
The Spread Eagle Hotel
hotelJedburgh
11.7km away
Larkhall Burn luxury cottages
self-catering cottagesJedburgh
11.7km away
Best Western Philipburn Country House Hotel
hotel, restaurant, barSelkirk
16.4km away
Jedforest Hotel
hotelJedburgh
17.1km away
The Clovenfords Country Hotel
hotelGalashiels
17.5km away

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Cafés, restaurants & bars near Old Mertoun House

George & Abbotsford Hotel
hotel, barMelrose
7.6km away
The Terrace Café, Floors Castle
caféKelso
8.9km away
The Courtyard Restaurant, Floors Castle
café, restaurantKelso
9.6km away
Baxters Selkirk
caféSelkirk
14.7km away
Selkirk Deli
caféSelkirk
15.3km away
Best Western Philipburn Country House Hotel
hotel, restaurant, barSelkirk
16.4km away
Johnstons of Elgin Eastmill Café
caféHawick
20.0km away
Hirsel Cottage Tea Room
caféColdstream
22.3km away
Castle Hotel
hotel, bar, restaurantColdstream
23.4km away
Saffron
restaurantInnerleithen
29.2km away
more food.... / more drink....

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Published on the 10th of July 2016 at 2:12 pm. Updated on the 20th of July 2016 at 1:25 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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