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Merchiston Tower
Merchiston Tower, also known as Merchiston Castle, was probably built by Alexander Napier, the 2nd Laird of Merchiston around 1454. It serves as the seat for Clan Napier. It was the home of John Napier, the 8th Laird of Merchiston and the inventor of logarithms, who was born there in 1550. The tower stands at the centre of Edinburgh Napier University's Merchiston campus. History The lands surrounding the castle were acquired before 1438 by Alexander Napier (1st Laird of Merchiston), and remained in the Napier family for most of the following five centuries. Merchiston Castle was probably built as a country house, but its strategic position and the turbulent political situation required it to be heavily fortified – with some walls as much as six feet thick – and it was frequently under siege. During restoration in the 1960s, a 26-pound cannonball was found embedded in the Tower, thought to date from the struggle in 1572 between Mary, Queen of Scots, and supporters of her ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Merchiston
Merchiston ( ) is a residential area around Merchiston Avenue in the south-west of Edinburgh, Scotland. Location Merchiston Avenue is 1.3 miles Southwest of the West End of Edinburgh's principal street, Princes Street. Other areas near Merchiston include Morningside to the southeast, Burghmuirhead (including Holy Corner and Church Hill) to the east and Bruntsfield to the northeast. History The first known reference to Merchiston is found in the 1266 Exchequer Rolls of Scotland. At this point Merchiston consisted of one of a number of independently owned estates to the southwest of the Burgh Muir. Alexander Napier, a wealthy Edinburgh merchant and provost of the city, acquired the estate from King James I in 1436. He or his son, also Alexander Napier, were responsible for the construction of Merchiston Tower (or Castle) in the mid 15th century. Merchiston Tower was later the home of John Napier, 8th Laird of Merchiston and the inventor of logarithms. The tower was sold ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
