Murieston Castle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Murieston Castle |
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 Murieston Castle
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| Coordinates | 55°51′19″N 3°31′08″W / 55.8552°N 3.5190°W |
| Site history | |
| Built | 16th century |
Murieston Castle is an old, ruined building in Scotland. It's a type of castle called a tower house. This castle was built a long time ago, in the 16th century. You can find it about 2 miles (3.2 km) west of West Calder, near the Murieston Water, at Murieston Castle Farm in West Lothian.
Murieston Castle is a special place. It is protected as a scheduled monument. This means it's an important historical site. For many years, it was also a Category B listed building, which gave it extra protection.
History of Murieston Castle
By the early 1800s, Murieston Castle was mostly a ruin. This means it was falling apart and not in good shape. But around 1824, someone decided to fix it up!
A man named John Keir bought the land, called Wester Murieston, in 1819. He was the one who had the castle restored. Some people thought the restoration was a bit too much. They said it looked more like a "folly" than a real castle. A folly is a building made to look old or interesting, often just for decoration.
What Murieston Castle Looks Like
The castle has an oblong shape, like a stretched-out rectangle. Its walls are made of rough stones, called rubble. The building is two storeys high.
On the first floor, there's a turret that no longer has a roof. A turret is a small tower that sticks out from the main building. This one is supported by special stone brackets called corbels.
The main part of the tower is about seven metres (23 ft) long. It runs from the north-west to the south-east. It is also about five metres (16 ft) wide. Inside, the ground floor is empty. It just has an earthen floor. There's also a staircase outside that leads up to the top floor.
You can see a special double doorway at the castle. It has a round decoration, called a medallion, with a family's coat of arms. This decoration is dated 1824, showing when the castle was restored.
