Hermitage of Braid

The Braid estate was the property of the de Brad family one of whom, Henri de Brad, was Sheriff of Edinburgh in the 12th century. A castle stood on the estate until the 18th century.^[2] In the 18th century the estate was purchased by the lawyer Charles Gordon of Cluny (died 1814),^[5] who commissioned the present house, known as Hermitage of Braid or Hermitage House, which stands on the north side of the Braid Burn.^[6]

The house was built in 1785 by the Edinburgh architect Robert Burn.^[6] The castellated style may have been influenced by the work of Robert Adam.^[7] Charles Gordon's son was the soldier and MP Colonel John Gordon (c.1776–1858).^[5] The house is a category A listed building.^[7] The nearby doocot is category B listed, has 1,965 stone nesting boxes and is the second largest in Edinburgh.^[8]

In 1937, the then owner of the Hermitage, John McDougal, gifted the land to the city for use as a public park.^[2] A pillar in the grounds records the gift, and the subsequent opening of the park on 10 June 1938 by Lord Provost Sir Louis Gumley.^[9] The house is now a visitor centre for the nature reserve, and offices of the City of Edinburgh Council's Countryside Natural Heritage Service.^[2]

• Media related to Hermitage of Braid at Wikimedia Commons
• Friends of Hermitage of Braid & Blackford Hill

55°55′12″N 3°12′03″W / 55.9199°N 3.2009°W / 55.9199; -3.2009