Edinburgh Past And Present - The Edinburgh Website

CRAIGEND PARK - KINGSTON AVENUE

Also known as Kingston House (not to be confused with Kingston Grange in Liberton Golf Club) Craigend Park was built in 1869 for William Christie an Edinburgh Tailor. It is an amazingly ornate house with a turret and tower attached and with many gables. Between 1938 and 1984 it was the Kingston Clinic, a natural cure centre

INCH HOUSE - INCH PARK

Now surrounded by Inch park, the house's grounds once took in the estate and the park known as The Inch. Originally built in 1617 it had an L plan shape and three storeys. It has been very much altered over the years and little remains now of the original house. When the house was first built, it was on an island with a drawbridge across a moat. In 1892 the house was extensively altered and now contains building from many periods of history. Nowadays it is a community centre for the local area.
 

KINGSTON GRANGE - LIBERTON GOLF CLUB

Built by Robert Adam in the 1780s and originally called Sunnyside House, its name was changed to Kingston Grange around 1850. The house has had alterations and now only the rear is original. In the 1920s some land was leased from Colonel Gilmore who owned the estate and Liberton Golf Club was set up, gradually expanding over time. Kingston Grange is now the club house.

THE DRUM - GILMERTON

Designed by William Adam in the 1730s for Lord Somerville, the house was originally known as Somerville House. It was originally to have two wings but only one was built and it incorporates an earlier house of 1585. The stable block (not pictured) was added in the early 1800s. The More Nisbet family have owned the house since 1862 and their descendants still live there today. The Mercat Cross stood in the estate from 1756 until 1866 but returned to the High Street on the instructions of the prime minister William Gladstone who also paid for its restoral.

LIBERTON TOWER - LIBERTON TOWER LANE

Built in the later part of the 15th century the tower has remained very well preserved. It was abandoned in 1610 and thereafter used for mainly agricultural purposes. It has now been restored fully and is available for hire as holiday accommodation

LIBERTON HOUSE - LIBERTON DRIVE

The exact date of construction is unknown but it was built around 1600 with additions in the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. It belonged originally to a William Little whose family purchased the lands in 1587 from an Alexander Dalmahoy. The Littles owned the house until the mid 20th century. There were plans to turn it into a country club in 1982 but nothing came of it. In 1991 the house was badly damaged by fire and was taken over by architects who set about restoring the house. It is now occupied by the vice consul of Iceland and has the Icelandic flag flying from the rooftops.

NETHER LIBERTON HOUSE - CAMERON TOLL

In the old village of Nether Liberton, this house was built in the 1700s but was altered and enlarged in the 1840s. A former coaching Inn, it had an alcohol license until 1850. It is currently a private house.

SCIENNES HILL HOUSE - SCIENNES HOUSE PLACE

Built in 1741 for Robert Biggar, one of the people who lost a fortune in the Darien scheme. It is best known as the place where in the winter of 1786/7 Sir Walter Scott and Robert Burns had their only meeting. It was at the time when the house was owned by Adam Ferguson and he organised many literary dinners. This was once a free standing house and was partially demolished in 1868, turned back to front (the current street view was originally the back of the house) and surrounded by tenements. It was restored and turned into flats in 1989 and there is a plaque on the front to commemorate the only meeting of Scott and Burns.

SYLVAN HUT - SYLVAN PLACE

Built around 1740 by Joseph Williamson who was an advocate and town clerk. In the 1700s it was fashionable for the wealthy to build a weekend retreat from the city and these were known as Huts although it is far from what we would think of today as a hut. In the late 1700s it was occupied by Joseph Black the discoverer of carbon dioxide and latent heat. It is still a private house.

MERCHISTON TOWER/CASTLE - COLINTON ROAD

Built around the early 15th century although the exact date is unknown but was probably built for Alexander Napier who was Lord Provost in 1438. It was the birth place of John Napier who invented logarithms around 1614. It was remodelled in the 17th century. In 1833 while still owned by the Napiers it became Merchiston Castle School but in 1930 the school moved to Colinton. The city council acquired the tower in 1935 and it was surrounded by several buildings that were removed around WWII. Restoration work was carried out to preserve the building between 1958 and 1964 when it became part of Napier University or Technical College as it was then known