Inside a 500-Year-Old Castle With Sea Views and Secrets

Lauriston Castle, with its grand interiors and beautiful grounds, sits tucked away in the northwest corner of the city. Tourists rarely make it this far.

But just a short bus ride from the centre takes you to woodland walks, a peaceful Japanese garden, and the chance to step back in time with a guided tour of what life was like in an early 20th-century middle-class Edinburgh home.

Not everyone realises it’s there.

In our latest film, we step inside Lauriston Castle to explore its remarkable features, eccentric details, and the story of the castle’s last private owners — who were quite the characters.

12 Things You Didn’t Know About Lauriston Castle

Edinburgh’s Lauriston Castle is not a ruin or a grand tourist trap. It’s something better — a perfectly preserved time capsule filled with unique finds, personal stories, and some surprisingly modern comforts (hello, working Edwardian radiator).

Here are 12 little-known things about Lauriston Castle that make it well worth a visit:

1. The Mermaid Welcomes You

Above the front door, there’s a stone carving of a mermaid brushing her hair in the wind. She’s not just decorative — she’s part of the coat of arms of Andrew Rutherfurd, who bought the castle in 1842 and helped reshape it into what we see today.

2. It Was Built in Three Acts

Lauriston Castle grew in three main stages: a 1590s tower house, an 1820s addition by a newspaper-owning banker, and an 1870s library wing. Together, they form a space that feels like walking through time.

3. You Can Still See the Join

There’s a narrow corridor inside where the old tower and the new house meet. One curved stone wall used to be an exterior — now it forms the passageway, lit softly by a single small window.

4. The Reids Lived Here — And Left Everything

William and Margaret Reid bought the house in 1902 and filled it with antiques, art, and elaborate decor. When Margaret died in 1926, she left everything to the nation — for “the education of public taste in all time coming.”

5. It Has a Secret Listening Hole

In the old tower, there’s a hidden room with a spyhole known as the “laird’s lug” (literally, the “lord’s ear”). It let the laird secretly eavesdrop on guests downstairs. Today, it’s still there — peg, stairs, and all.

6. The Bathroom Decor Is... a Bit Nosey

Step into the bathroom and you’ll find a wall of stern portraits watching you. No one knows why the Reids chose to hang them there, but it adds an odd intimacy to your visit.

7. A Radiator That Still Works

In the bedroom, an elegant Edwardian radiator from 1903 still gives off heat. It’s elevated on a stand — a typical feature at the time to help circulate warm air more efficiently.

8. You Were Weighed Before Dinner

A curious stool in Mrs Reid’s bedroom was once used to weigh guests. It helped staff choose the right horse for weekend rides… or track how well-fed you were by the time you left.

9. The Dining Room Was Lit Like Theatre

Because early electric bulbs were dim, the Reids had an enormous fringed lampshade installed right above the dining table — bringing the light (and drama) closer to the food.

10. Their Champagne Cooler Was Recycled

An 18th-century Dutch wine box was repurposed with a zinc liner — all so Mr Reid could keep his champagne chilled. The box originally held red wine and a decanter.

11. There’s a Secret Door in the Library

The swinging bookcase looks like something out of a detective novel — but it was only added in the 1930s for dramatic effect when tours began. Before that? Just a regular wall.

12. 1903 — And They Had Plumbing Like This

The bathroom’s lion-head tap, deep tub, and heated towel rails were the height of Edwardian luxury. Margaret’s family were plumbing suppliers — and it shows.

Lauriston Castle isn’t loud about how special it is. But spend a bit of time there, and you’ll feel it — in the creaky floors, the hidden doors, and the stillness of the garden.