History of Liberton Tower

Liberton Tower is, without doubt, the most perfect and unspoilt tower within the precincts of Edinburgh and, although on a small scale, incorporates many features, typical of towers large and small.

The tower is thought to have been built in the latter half of the 15th century and would appear to correspond in a number of details with the tower at Craigmillar Castle. Whereas Craigmillar was later much altered and extended, Liberton, apart from some internal alterations in the 16th century and minor ones in the 18th century (while it was being used for agricultural purposes after its abandonment in 1610) has remained largely intact.

The family connected with the building of the tower was the Dalmahoys and a carved panel, on the upper part of the wall on the south side, shows their crest emblem, an arm and sword. Later it passed to the Forrester family, a branch of the Forresters of Corstorphine, before it was finally disponed to the Littles, a merchant family and Lords Provost of Edinburgh, who found the tower too inconvenient and consequently abandoned it to erect Liberton House, a short distance away, in the early 17th century. The Littles and the Gilmours of Craigmillar united and, when their main estate at The Inch was sold to Edinburgh Corporation, areas of the estate were retained by the Little-Gilmours in the name of the Liberton Trust. The Trustees have granted Castles of Scotland Preservation Trust a lease of one hundred years in order that the structure should be restored and put back into use as a domestic dwelling.

Summary

Probably erected in the 1480’s or 90’s. Around the middle of the 16th century the east wall of the hall and chamber floor re-built to contain a new staircase to the upper floor and incorporate a fireplace. The chamber floor was partitioned to form two rooms, now both with seperate access, and the south window of the hall and the window above it were both enlarged. Abandoned as a domestic habitation in the early 1600’s and used, to date, as a farm store, byre, piggery, etc. The hatch opening in the hall floor was introduced in the 18th century when many of the windows were filled in by masonry. During the course of the 19th century, three iron tie-beams were put in, spanning the upper vault, checking sever cracking to the west and east gables.