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Field Visit
Date 3 December 1920
Event ID 1114485
Category Recording
Type Field Visit
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/1114485
Lauriston Castle.
About half a mile to the north of Barntongate (Davidson's Mains) Station the mansion of Lauriston Castle (Fig.46) rises within its parks and looks northward across the firth to Fife. It is a large and mainly modern structure which has grown round the late 16th-century tower forming the south-west angle of the present mansion. This tower is a structure of three storeys and an attic, and is oblong on plan, measuring 40 by 24 feet. It has on the north a central projecting tower, which is circled at base where it houses a turnpike, and rectangular above, where it contains bed-chambers. The turnpike ascends only to the second floor; the chambers above it were reached by a small turret-stair corbelled out in the north-west re-entrant angle. Larger turrets, within which are chambers, are corbelled out at the southern angles above first floor level and rise to the wall-head; the sill of the upper turret-window looking west projects as a shelf for a lantern. The masonry is of rubble. The entrance and the dormers have moulded architraves; the jambs and lintels of other windows were originally chamfered or rounded. A moulded eaves-course returns at the wall-head and beneath the dormer sills; the gables are crow-stepped. The roofs, which are of timber slated, appear to have been renewed, but the stone ridging is original. The south-eastern dormer retains its original triangular pediment, which is inscribed D.E.M. for Dame Elizabeth Mowbray, daughter of Sir Robert Mowbray of Barnbougle, second wife of Sir Archibald Napier of Merchiston (1). The pediment of the neighbouring dormer is modern; the original pediment bore (2) S. A. N. for Sir Archibald Napier, who probably built the tower. These pediments had fretted margins, which bore scrolls resting on rosettes and terminating in fleurs-de-lys finials, flanking the apex finial, which was wrought as a thistle. The north-west dormer bears in the tympanum a shield parted per pale and charged with, dexter, an oak tree eradicated fessways betwixt three pheons, for Dalgleish, and sinister, erminois, on a chief three mullets, for Douglas of Pumpherston (3). The only defensive features in the building are the filled-in gun-loops facing north and east at basement level and the two tiers of quatrefoiled loops in the southern turrets.
The entrance to the tower does not appear to be in situ, for it is in the south wall, and has subsequently been contracted to form a window; above it is a panel inscribed : R.D. /ASTRA NEC VITÆ MODERATORES NEC/BONORVM MEORVM CAUSAS AGNO/SCO HÆC QUÆ POSSIDEO DEI/BENIGNITATI ACCEPTA FERO EJVS/FIDEI TUTANDA VOLUNTATI DISPONEN/DA COMMITTO AB EO GRATIAM OMNIBVS/PRO IPSO UTENDI EXPETO ET EXPECTO/ROBERT DALG(I.) ISH. IEAN DOUGLASS(3)/ANAGRAMME/GODS GREAT AND HE IS ALL OUR BLIS: ‘I do not acknowledge the stars as either the rulers of life or the causes of my good fortune. The things which I possess I ascribe to the goodness of God. I commit their protection to His faith, their disposal to His will. From Him I hope and pray for grace to use them all for Him’.
A second stone panel has been inserted west of the last; it bears a horoscope and is inscribed: S(IR) ALEX(ANDE)R NA/PEIR (4) SONE TO/S(IR) AR(CHIBALD) OF MER/(C)H(IE)STO(V)NE/(HI)S (CELE)STI/(AL) THEM (i.e. THEME).
The basement contains two parallel and intercommunicating cellars ceiled with semicircular barrel-vaults. The lowest flight of the turnpike was closed, but has recently been opened. A mural stair, opening above in the mural chamber now used as a strong room, and below in the western cellar, which became an entrance hall, evidently dates with the southern entrance. Latterly a new stair has been formed at the north-east angle, which has an inward projection on both the basement and Hall floors.
The first floor was occupied solely by the Hall, but this has been modernised; the strong room window has an iron grille that is apparently original. A small mural chamber is secreted above the strong room. It is reached from a tiny stair, only 1 foot 7 inches wide, that opens off the west ingo of the west window in the Hall and is concealed by the window shutter. The chamber, which has a small window, is 4 feet 11 inches wide, 9 feet 4 inches long, and 6 feet 4 inches in height. A bulkhead is formed in the floor to give headroom below. The ceiling is flagged. A squint is provided to overlook the Hall.
On each of the upper floors are two bedrooms in the main block, on which the little turret chambers open. These rooms, like the Hall, have been modernised. The tower is structurally in good preservation; within it and the additions is a fine collection of old furniture.
MISCELLANEOUS. The following articles were brought from the house of Cartsburn, Greenock, by Mr. T. M. Crawfurd when he bought the present property in 1871, and his house at Cartsburn was demolished (5):
(1) A "lectern" sundial (Fig. 56), of which the upper portion, inscribed 1684, alone is original. It contains 26 dials, and stands on the lawn south of the Tower.
(2) A pediment from a dormer window inscribed with the initials of Thomas Crawfurd and his wife, Jean Semple. Crawfurd built the house of Cartsburn in 1672, and died 1695. This stone is now placed over the mineral well.
(3) In the same position as (2) is another pediment bearing the date 1672.
(4) A panel on the outside wall of the library, on which the Crawfurd arms are blazoned in colour, with the motto, Quod Tibi Hoc Alteri,and the date 1673.
(5) A number of balusters utilised in outside construction which are of about the date 1672.
The house with its contents and grounds is now vested in the Corporation of Edinburgh as trustees for the nation.
RCAHMS 1929, visited 3 December 1920.
(1) The marriage was in 1570 or 1571. Lauriston Castle, by John A. Fairley, p. 25; (2) Ibid.,p. 28; (3) Robert Dalgleish of Lauriston (cj. p . xli) married Jean, daughter of Joseph Douglas of Pumpherston. Ibid., p. 50; (4) Sir Alexander Napier became a Lord Ordinary of the Court of Session in 1626 and died in 1629. Ibid.,p. 35; (5) Ibid., p. 189.
