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Cairns Castle
Cairns Castle is a ruined keep, dating from the 15th century. It is located on the northern slope of the Pentland Hills, around south west of Balerno, at the south west end of Harperrig Reservoir, in West Lothian, Scotland.Coventry Martin (1997) ''The Castles of Scotland''. Goblinshead. p97 It may have also been known as Easter Cairns Castle, but this may refer to another castle in the area. History The Crichtons inherited the castle through marriage of the heiress of the castle who was the granddaughter of William de Carnys the original owner. Structure The castle has an adjoining wing. It has a vaulted basement, a kitchen on the ground floor, and a hall above. All floors were reached by a turnpike stair in the corner between the main block and the wing. There were at least three storeys. The kitchen fireplace was converted into an entrance. The entrance tower to the east no longer exists. It has been a Scheduled Monument In the United Kingdom, a scheduled monume ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Keep
A keep (from the Middle English ''kype'') is a type of fortified tower built within castles during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars have debated the scope of the word ''keep'', but usually consider it to refer to large towers in castles that were fortified residences, used as a refuge of last resort should the rest of the castle fall to an adversary. The first keeps were made of timber and formed a key part of the motte-and-bailey castles that emerged in Normandy and Anjou during the 10th century; the design spread to England, south Italy and Sicily. As a result of the Norman invasion of 1066, use spread into Wales during the second half of the 11th century and into Ireland in the 1170s. The Anglo-Normans and French rulers began to build stone keeps during the 10th and 11th centuries; these included Norman keeps, with a square or rectangular design, and circular shell keeps. Stone keeps carried considerable political as well as military importance and could take up ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pentland Hills
The Pentland Hills are a range of hills southwest of Edinburgh, Scotland. The range is around in length, and runs southwest from Edinburgh towards Biggar and the upper Clydesdale. Etymology The name is first recorded for the farm of Pentland ( 1050, 1200) and probably derives from Brythonic ''pen llan'', head or top end of the church or enclosure. In the late 15th to mid-16th centuries, land transfers refer to Pentlandmure and Pentland – documents that also list adjacent parcels of land with such still-recognisable names as Loganehous, Hilend, Boghall and Mortounhall. 'Muir', in Pentlandmure, describes common grazings where the farm's livestock would be pastured in summer; and gradually the name was linked more specifically with the slopes of the nearby hills (perhaps Allermuir, Woodhouselee or Castlelaw). The name is completely unrelated to the name of the Pentland Firth in the north of Scotland. Timothy Pont mapped the area in the 1590s, and his work appeared in the ma ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Balerno
Balerno (; gd, Baile Àirneach, IPA: paleˈɛːɾʲnəx Scots: Balerno or Balernie) is a village on the outskirts of Edinburgh, Scotland situated south-west of the city centre, next to Currie and then Juniper Green. Traditionally in the county of Midlothian it now administratively falls within the jurisdiction of the City of Edinburgh Council. The village lies at the confluence of the Water of Leith and the Bavelaw Burn. In the 18th and 19th century, the area was home to several mills using waterpower. In the 20th century, the mills closed and the village now forms a residential suburb of Edinburgh. History Balerno's name derives from the Scottish Gaelic ''Baile Àirneach'', meaning "townland/town of the hawthorns". The earliest written records of Balhernoch or Balernach are found in the late 13th century. The 18th century brought substantial development to the area, with several new flax, snuff and paper mills springing up around the Water of Leith and its tributary, the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Harperrig Reservoir
Harperrig Reservoir is a reservoir in West Lothian, Scotland, to the north of the Pentland Hills, south of Mid Calder. The Water of Leith flows through it, and nearby are Harlaw Reservoir and Threipmuir Reservoir. It has been proposed that the reservoir be designated as a local nature reserve to be managed by West Lothian Council. History and usage Harperrig Reservoir was created in 1860 as part of a scheme to improve the supply of drinking water to Edinburgh, its function being as a compensation reservoir to guarantee a supply of water to the mills along the course of the Water of Leith. The dam was raised in height in 1890. In 2006 ownership of the reservoir was transferred from Scottish Water to the City of Edinburgh Council, the Council undertook modifications to the outflow in 2007–2008 as part of the Water of Leith Flood Prevention Scheme so that the reservoir could be used to store flood water and regulate the downstream flow of the Water of Leith. Description Harperri ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
West Lothian
West Lothian ( sco, Wast Lowden; gd, Lodainn an Iar) is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, and was one of its shires of Scotland, historic counties. The county was called Linlithgowshire until 1925. The historic county was bounded geographically by the River Avon, Falkirk, Avon to the west and the River Almond, Lothian, Almond to the east. The modern council area occupies a larger area than the historic county. It was reshaped following local government reforms in 1975: some areas in the west were transferred to Falkirk (council area), Falkirk; some areas in the east were transferred to Edinburgh; and some areas that had formerly been part of in Midlothian were added to West Lothian. West Lothian lies on the southern shore of the Firth of Forth and is predominantly rural, though there were extensive coal, iron, and shale oil mining operations in the 19th and 20th centuries. These created distinctive red-spoil heaps (locally known as "bing (mining), bings") throughout the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, the North Sea to the northeast and east, and the Irish Sea to the south. It also contains more than 790 islands, principally in the archipelagos of the Hebrides and the Northern Isles. Most of the population, including the capital Edinburgh, is concentrated in the Central Belt—the plain between the Scottish Highlands and the Southern Uplands—in the Scottish Lowlands. Scotland is divided into 32 administrative subdivisions or local authorities, known as council areas. Glasgow City is the largest council area in terms of population, with Highland being the largest in terms of area. Limited self-governing power, covering matters such as education, social services and roads and transportation, is devolved from the Scott ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Clan Crichton
Clan Crichton is a Lowland Scottish clan that historically ruled Dumfries. History Origins of the clan One of the earliest baronies around Edinburgh was formed from the lands of '' Kreitton'' and is mentioned in charters of the early 12th century. In 1128 Thurstan de Crechtune witnessed the foundation of Holyrood Abbey by David I of Scotland. Thurstan's son, Thomas de Crichton is listed on the Ragman Rolls of 1296, swearing fealty to Edward I of England. Thomas's three sons each extended the family's holdings. The second son, William, married Isobel de Ross who was the heiress to the barony of Sanquhar in Dumfriesshire. 15th and 16th centuries In 1464 Sir Robert Crichton of Sanquhar was sheriff of the county of Dumfries. From 1468 to 1469 he was also Coroner of Nithsdale. In 1487 his eldest son, Robert Crichton, was created a peer with the title Lord Crichton of Sanquhar by James III of Scotland. Another descendant of Thomas de Crichton was Sir William Crichton who in 143 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Clan Cairns
Clan Cairns is a Scottish clan. The clan does not have a chief recognised by the Lord Lyon King of Arms, therefore the clan has no standing under Scots Law. Clan Cairns is considered an armigerous clan, meaning that it is considered to have had at one time a chief who possessed the chiefly arms, however no one at present is in possession of such arms. The arms of Cairns of that Ilk are blazoned as: ''Gules, thremerlette Or''. The surname ''Cairns'' is derived from the Scottish Gaelic ''carn'', meaning "cairn". It is a topographic name for someone who lived near a cairn. The lands of Cairns are located in Midlothian and West Lothian. William de Carnys was a witness to an inspection of a Charter in 1350, this is one of the earliest known records of the name. In 1363, William de Carnys and his son Duncan held the baronies of Easter and Wester Whitburn. Many Cairns are also recorded in the counties of Midlothian and West Lothian West Lothian ( sco, Wast Lowden; gd, Lodainn a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Turnpike Stair
Stairs are a structure designed to bridge a large vertical distance between lower and higher levels by dividing it into smaller vertical distances. This is achieved as a diagonal series of horizontal platforms called steps which enable passage to the other level by stepping from one to another step in turn. Steps are very typically rectangular. Stairs may be straight, round, or may consist of two or more straight pieces connected at angles. Types of stairs include staircases (also called stairways), ladders, and escalators. Some alternatives to stairs are elevators (also called lifts), stairlifts, inclined moving walkways, and ramps. A stairwell is a vertical shaft or opening that contains a staircase. A flight (of stairs) is an inclined part of a staircase consisting of steps (and their lateral supports if supports are separate from steps). Components and terms A ''stair'', or a ''stairstep'', is one step in a flight of stairs.R.E. Putnam and G.E. Carlson, ''Architectural a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Scheduled Monument
In the United Kingdom, a scheduled monument is a nationally important archaeological site or historic building, given protection against unauthorised change. The various pieces of legislation that legally protect heritage assets from damage and destruction are grouped under the term "designation." The protection provided to scheduled monuments is given under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979, which is a different law from that used for listed buildings (which fall within the town and country planning system). A heritage asset is a part of the historic environment that is valued because of its historic, archaeological, architectural or artistic interest. Only some of these are judged to be important enough to have extra legal protection through designation. There are about 20,000 scheduled monuments in England representing about 37,000 heritage assets. Of the tens of thousands of scheduled monuments in the UK, most are inconspicuous archaeological sites, but ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Castles In West Lothian
A castle is a type of fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by military orders. Scholars debate the scope of the word ''castle'', but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble. This is distinct from a palace, which is not fortified; from a fortress, which was not always a residence for royalty or nobility; from a ''pleasance'' which was a walled-in residence for nobility, but not adequately fortified; and from a fortified settlement, which was a public defence – though there are many similarities among these types of construction. Use of the term has varied over time and has also been applied to structures such as hill forts and 19th-20th century homes built to resemble castles. Over the approximately 900 years when genuine castles were built, they took on a great many forms with many different features, although some, such as curtain walls, arrowslits, and portcullises, were ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ruins In West Lothian
Ruins () are the remains of a civilization's architecture. The term refers to formerly intact structures that have fallen into a state of partial or total disrepair over time due to a variety of factors, such as lack of maintenance, deliberate destruction by humans, or uncontrollable destruction by natural phenomena. The most common root causes that yield ruins in their wake are natural disasters, armed conflict, and population decline, with many structures becoming progressively derelict over time due to long-term weathering and scavenging. There are famous ruins all over the world, with notable sites originating from ancient China, the Indus Valley and other regions of ancient India, ancient Iran, ancient Israel and Judea, ancient Iraq, ancient Greece, ancient Egypt, Roman sites throughout the Mediterranean Basin, and Incan and Mayan sites in the Americas. Ruins are of great importance to historians, archaeologists and anthropologists, whether they were once individu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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