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Liberton Tower today

Scotland · Restored

Liberton Tower

Liberton Tower is a four-storey, rectangular 15th-century tower house in the Edinburgh suburb of Liberton, historically associated with the Dalmahoy and Forrester families and later William Little. The tower was abandoned in 1610, suffered damage in fighting around 1650, and was restored in 1994; it is now used for holiday lets.

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Photograph via Wikimedia Commons

Its prime

1586

Today

Restored

As it stood in 1586

What Liberton Tower looked like in its prime.

A compact four-storey, rectangular tower house with a simple block silhouette and a parapeted roofline, finished in distinctive yellow harling over stone. Small, narrow windows are set asymmetrically into thick walls; the south wall carries a carved heraldic panel. The building measures roughly 34 ft 9 in by 25 ft 9 in in plan and sits alone on gently rolling ground at the east side of the Braid Hills, its roofwalk and parapet intact in its prime.

Its story

The story of Liberton Tower.

Liberton Tower is a four-storey, square-plan tower house on the east side of the Braid Hills in the Edinburgh suburb of Liberton. Originally owned by the Dalmahoy family, whose arms appear on a carved panel on the south wall, it passed to a branch of the Forrester family of Corstorphine before being sold to William Little, Provost of Edinburgh in 1586 and 1591.

Featureless except for its small, asymmetrically arranged windows and coated in distinctive yellow harling, the tower has been described as "grim and ponderous". It is a good example of a typical noble residence of its period, one of relatively few not substantially altered in later centuries. Abandoned in 1610 and damaged in fighting around 1650, it was restored in 1994 and is now used for holiday lets.

Step inside

5 places to explore in 1586.

The record describes 5 distinct spots at Liberton Tower, including the full exterior approach. Create your own photoreal reconstruction and explore every one, more scenes means more rooms, more angles, and more of the place to stand in.

Approach from country lane (exterior)South wall with carved Dalmahoy arms (exterior close-up)Parapet and roofwalk (exterior, elevated)West elevation showing window arrangement (exterior)View from the Braid Hills (landscape view)

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Whose castle

Clans who held Liberton Tower.

The families that held Liberton Tower for a decade or more across its history, follow a name to its clan.

  • Dalmahoy

    Original owners of the tower; their arms appear on a carved panel on the south wall.

  • Forrester

    Held by a branch of the Forrester family of Corstorphine.

  • Little

    Bought by William Little, Provost of Edinburgh in 1586 and 1591.

From the archive

Liberton Tower on paper: the measured plan and period views.

The survey plan and photographs below are the ground truth this page's reconstructions are checked against, drawn and photographed while the castle was still a working garrison. Every image is public-domain or openly licensed, with its source named.

Fig. 189. - Liberton Tower. Interior of Hall., Liberton Tower

Fig. 189. - Liberton Tower. Interior of Hall.

1887 · MacGibbon & Ross, Castellated and Domestic Architecture of Scotland, vol. 1 (1887)

Public domain

Fig. 140. - Liberton Tower. Views from the South-West and North-East., Liberton Tower

Fig. 140. - Liberton Tower. Views from the South-West and North-East.

1887 · MacGibbon & Ross, Castellated and Domestic Architecture of Scotland, vol. 1 (1887)

Public domain

Nearby

Landmarks within reach of Liberton Tower.

Greyfriars Kirkyard, ScotlandCemeteryGreyfriars Kirkyard4 km awayParliament House, ScotlandSeat of powerParliament House4 km awaySt Giles' Cathedral, ScotlandCathedralSt Giles' Cathedral4 km away

Questions about Liberton Tower

What is the history of Liberton Tower?

Liberton Tower is a 15th-century noble residence whose story includes changes of ownership, abandonment and wartime damage. It was originally owned by the Dalmahoy family, passed to a branch of the Forrester family of Corstorphine, and was sold to William Little, Provost of Edinburgh, in 1586 and 1591. It was abandoned in 1610 and restored in 1994.

Why was Liberton Tower built, and what was it used for?

Liberton Tower was built as a noble residence, providing a substantial home for its owners rather than serving solely as a military stronghold. After it was abandoned in 1610, it was used for agricultural storage, and it is now used for holiday lets. Its form is a typical noble residence of its period.

Where is Liberton Tower?

Liberton Tower is in Liberton, an Edinburgh suburb, on the east side of the Braid Hills. It is located in the City of Edinburgh, on gently rolling ground beside the hills. The site is described as being in Over or Upper Liberton.

When was Liberton Tower built?

Liberton Tower was built in the 15th century. The supplied material does not record the year in which it was first raised, but describes the surviving structure as 15th-century. Its documented prime year is 1586, when William Little was Provost of Edinburgh and acquired the tower.

Was Liberton Tower ever attacked or besieged?

Liberton Tower was caught up in fighting around Edinburgh in 1650, during Cromwell’s invasion as part of the Anglo-Scottish War. Deposits of charcoal, smashed pottery, damage to the tower, removed parapets and cannonballs in nearby fields support the account of wartime damage. The supplied material does not state that the tower was formally besieged or whether it held.

Which family or clan held Liberton Tower?

Liberton Tower was held by the Dalmahoy family, a branch of the Forrester family of Corstorphine, and later William Little. The Dalmahoys were the original owners and their arms appear on a carved panel on the south wall. William Little, Provost of Edinburgh, bought the tower in 1586 and 1591.

What did Liberton Tower look like in its prime?

Liberton Tower is a compact, four-storey rectangular tower house with a simple block silhouette and parapeted roofline. It is finished in distinctive yellow harling over stone, with small, narrow windows arranged asymmetrically in thick walls. A carved heraldic panel is set into the south wall, and the building measures roughly 34 ft 9 in by 25 ft 9 in.

Is Liberton Tower still standing or is it a ruin?

Liberton Tower is still standing and has been restored rather than left as a ruin. It is a well-preserved 15th-century structure, restored in 1994, and is one of the relatively few buildings of its type not substantially altered in later centuries. Its parapets were damaged or removed during the fighting around Edinburgh in 1650.

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