Wordless Wednesday
Tag: Lauriston Castle
Lauriston Castle – Edinburgh, Scotland-Part 2
Back in May, I took you guys on a photo tour of the spectacularly beautiful grounds at Lauriston Castle. I want to revisit Lauriston with you today. Only this time, we are going to explore the beautiful Edwardian interior, decorated and designed by the Lauriston’s final owners, Mr. William Robert Reid, his wife Mrs. Margaret Johnstone Reid, and Mrs. Reid’s brother, Mr. William Barton.
Mr. C and I visited Lauriston for the second time in March 2017. It is one of our favorites, so no trip to Edinburgh will now ever be complete without paying a visit to this lovely place. We were thrilled to be able to take a guided tour of several of the castle’s main rooms. Our docent was excellent and was a wealth of knowledge of the castle’s history, from the first construction in the sixteenth century until the passing of Mrs. Reid in 1926. I think that if I lived in Edinburgh, I would want that job!
To recap a little of Lauriston’s history…
Lauriston’s tower house was built by Sir Archibald Napier sometime around 1593 and the pretty Jacobean-style extension was added in 1827. Over the centuries, the castle passed through numerous hands until it came into the possession of its final owners – William and Margaret Reid. The Reids acquired the property in 1902 and lived there until Mrs. Reid’s death in 1926. Because the couple had no children, they left the castle to the city of Edinburgh under the condition that it be preserved unchanged. And so the promise was kept. The remarkable Edwardian interior, filled to the brim with their fine furniture and artwork, is now a museum maintained by the city. For a nominal fee, you can take a guided tour of this home (uh, castle) which remains exactly as it was at the time of the Reids. The manicured grounds, which boast a view of the sea and a stunning Japanese garden are a real bargain – free! Lauriston truly is a gem in Edinburgh. –from my previous post on Lauriston Castle
Well, are you ready to step inside and see what a 425-year-old castle clothed in 100-year-old decor looks like? Great. Follow me, friends.
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Lauriston Castle, Edinburgh, Scotland-Part 1
Hi, friends. How would you like to join me today for a stroll around the grounds of one of the prettiest castles in Scotland? Oh good, I’m so pleased! I promise that you are going to love it. Today we are in Edinburgh at the oh-so-lovely Lauriston Castle.
First, a quick history of the castle: Sir Archibald Napier built Lauriston’s tower house (front left) sometime around 1593, and the pretty Jacobean-style extension was added in 1827. Over the centuries, Lauriston Castle passed through many hands until it came into the possession of its final owners – William and Margaret Reid. The Reids acquired the property in 1902 and lived there until Mrs. Reid’s death in 1926.
Because the couple had no children, they left Lauriston to the city of Edinburgh under the condition that it be preserved unchanged. And so the promise was kept. The castle with the remarkable Edwardian interior, filled to the brim with their fine furniture and artwork, is now a museum maintained by the city. For a nominal fee, you can take a guided tour of this home, which remains exactly as it was in the couple’s day. The manicured grounds, with views over the Firth of Forth and a stunning Japanese garden, are a real bargain – free! Lauriston Castle is a true gem.
The photos that follow were taken in the month of May. The weather that day was MAGNIFICENT. I think you will see that with scenery like this, it was impossible not to fall crazy in love with the place.
Let’s go for that stroll.