Malleny House

NT 16470 66541 A watching brief was carried out 21–22 November 2011 during the excavation of an electrical cable trench. The trench was c0.5m wide and 0.6m deep, located 2.7m to the SE of Malleny House and ran for 14.5m through the western most boundary wall of the property, to the NW of the Bavelaw Burn. The excavation ran NE–SW, parallel to the longest axis of Malleny House and uncovered the foundations of a large stone and mortar wall. Where this wall has not been previously demolished is has been incorporated for a short distance into the existing boundary, but is easily distinguishable as it is considerably thicker and stands out as an obvious dogleg in the boundary orientation. It is not known if this wall represents an earlier boundary or an earlier exterior wall of Malleny House.

Archive: The National Trust for Scotland and RCAHMS (intended)

Funder: The National Trust for Scotland

The National Trust for Scotland 2011

Malleny House dates from c.1635 and was built for Sir James Murray I of Kilbaberton. The House consists of a single range with two storeys and dormered attic with grey harled walls and crow-stepped gables. It has a 4-bay east wing with an old entrance, over which there is a heraldic panel. On the west side there is a circular turnpike stair tower and a chimney stack that possibly dates from 1589. There are several single storey additions including a castellated service wing to the south.

On the inside the chimney connects to a very wide kitchen fireplace of the late 16th century or early 17th century with an armorial panel on the lintel, dated 1589. The ground floor is not vaulted. An extension of one storey which is known as the Georgian Wing, was added ca. 1820 for General Thomas Scott. This Wing has a bow to the east into which the drawing room fits a half-dome, then a transverse dome on pendentives and a segmental vault; and in the opposite bow to the west is the dining room. The old house is linked to the extension by a fanlit front door opening onto a vestibule.

Information from NTS

NT 16500 66700; This report presents the results of an archaeological evaluation undertaken by AOC Archaeology Group on behalf of Currie Rugby Football Club, on the site of a new training pitch on ground at Malleny Park, Balerno. The archaeological evaluation consisted of the machine trenching of 800 m². A total of 1020 m2 was originally required. However, the presence of live services curtailed the area available for evaluation. In total four trenches were opened over the area of the proposed pitch. The area had been heavily truncated during the construction of the current playing fields with modern drains spaced at regular one metre intervals. Neither significant archaeological features nor artefacts were encountered.

Information from Rob Engl (AOC Archaeology) 11 August 2014