Murieston Castle

55°51′19″N 3°31′08″W / 55.8552°N 3.5190°W / 55.8552; -3.5190

Murieston Castle
Murieston Castle is located in West Lothian
Murieston Castle
Murieston Castle
Coordinates55°51′19″N 3°31′08″W / 55.8552°N 3.5190°W / 55.8552; -3.5190
Site history
Built16th century

Murieston Castle is a ruined tower house, dating from the 16th century, 2 miles (3.2 km) west of West Calder, west of the Murieston Water, at Murieston Castle Farm, West Lothian, Scotland.[1][2] It is a scheduled monument and between 1971 and 2018 it was a Category B listed building.[3][4]

History

Murieston Castle had become ruinous by the early 19th century when it was restored around 1824.[5] It has been described as being over-restored, and having the character of a folly.[5] The restoration was for John Keir who bought Wester Murieston in 1819.[4]

Structure

The castle was oblong, the walls being of rubble, two storeys high. At first-floor level there is a roofless turret, corbelled out in the original building.[5] The tower is about seven metres (23 ft) long, running north-west to south-east, and five metres (16 ft) broad. The ground-floor interior has been gutted and it has an earthen floor.[3] There is a fore-stair to the upper storey. A double doorway carries a medallion with arms in spandrel, dated 1824.[4]

References

  1. ^ Coventry Martin (1997) The Castles of Scotland. Goblinshead. ISBN 1 899874 10 0 p. 264
  2. ^ Jaques and McKean (1 September 1994). West Lothian - An Illustrated Architectural Guide. Scotland: The Rutland Press. p. 93-94. ISBN 978-1873190258.
  3. ^ a b Historic Environment Scotland. "Murieston Castle (Scheduled Monument) (SM1207)". Retrieved 1 April 2019.
  4. ^ a b c Historic Environment Scotland. "Wester Murieston, Murieston Castle (LB18441)". Retrieved 1 April 2019.
  5. ^ a b c "Murieston Castle". Canmore. Retrieved 13 September 2014.