Lennox Tower
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thepublicNo
| Lennox Tower | |
|---|---|
| Edinburgh, Scotland NT2021676093 | |
| Site information | |
| Open to the public | No |
| Location | |
  Lennox Tower | |
| Coordinates | 55°53′24″N 3°19′22″W / 55.8901°N 3.3227°W |
| Site history | |
| Built | 15th century |
| Built by | Earls of Lennox |
Lennox Tower is a ruinous fifteenth-century tower house at Lymphoy, near the Water of Leith, between Balerno and Currie, 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) south-west of Edinburgh, Scotland.[1]
The tower was built by the Earls of Lennox, who belonged to the Stewart family. It was known as "Lumphoy" or "Lymphoy." Mary, Queen of Scots and Regent Morton visited the castle, while James VI used it as a base for hunting. He dined there on 18 April 1598.[2] It was later acquired by George Heriot, the goldsmith and founder of George Heriot's School.[1] The castle became so ruinous that at one stage it became a rock garden.[1]
Description
The structure a rectangular tower containing a narrow spiral staircase. The only part remaining intact is the basement, the entrance of which is in the north-east corner, and the base of a turnpike stair.[1] The north and west walls of the tower are about 8 metres (26 ft) high, while the other two sides are less than 2 metres (6.6 ft).[3]
There was a tunnel from the building to Colinton Tower which was accessible until the 19th century.[1] The castle is on a promontory. There is a ditch to the south of this, about two metres deep, where an inner rampart may have been. It is thought that a barmkin once surrounded the site, while other buildings probably stood between the tower and the ditch.[3]
