A touch of the Orient

Ian Buxton discovers a Japanese garden in north Edinburgh.

Lauriston Castle, in Edinburgh's leafy Cramond suburb, is one of the city's unsung gems and home to a delightful surprise.

The castle was left in trust to the nation by its last private owners, Mr and Mrs William Robert Reid, who lived there from 1902 to 1926. Today it is maintained by the City of Edinburgh Council. Its Edwardian-period interiors have been carefully preserved, and reflect the taste of wealthy middle-class collectors of the period.

Originally a 1590s tower house, the castle was built for Sir Archibald Napier, and extended during the 1820s by the architect William Burn for its then owner, Thomas Allan. The tranquillity of its setting, overlooking the Firth of Forth, combined with its proximity to the centre of Edinburgh, makes Lauriston typical of the large suburban villas which once provided rural amenity for the powerful and wealthy of the city. Hence, over the centuries, it housed many notable Scots, including John Law, who rose to high office at the French Court during the 1720s.

Inside the castle, the interiors showcase Mr Reid's lifetime work: prints, paintings, tapestries, textiles, porcelain, Sheffield-plate, Blue John, British and Continental furniture and many objets d'art assembled by him, are enhanced by the castle's carefully-considered decorative schemes.

But, delightful though the castle is, the real surprise lies in the 30 acres of parkland and formal gardens. These include an Italianate rose garden (shortly due for a significant restoration...

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• By : Ian Buxton
• In : Best of Scotland
• Issue : 39
• Page : 21
• Words : 621