Cammo () is a northwestern suburb of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. It is south of A90, at the edge of the city, approximately from the city centre.

Etymology

The name is Celtic in origin, but could have originated either in Scottish Gaelic or Cumbric. In the former case it would be an adjectival form of Gaelic ''cambas'' 'bay. creek'; in the latter it would be from Brittonic *''cambāco-'', an adjectival form of *''camas'' 'bend in river, bay'. This element would probably refer to a bend of the river in this context, as Cammo is inland.

Cammo House

To the west of the housing area there is the former

estate Estate or The Estate may refer to: Law * Estate (law), a term in common law for a person's property, entitlements and obligations * Estates of the realm, a broad social category in the histories of certain countries. ** The Estates, representat ...

of Cammo House. The house was built for John Menzies in 1693, and the surrounding parkland was laid out between 1710-26 by Sir

John Clerk of Penicuik John Clerk of Penicuik (1611–1674) was a Scottish merchant noted for maintaining a comprehensive archive of family papers, now held by the National Archives of Scotland and the National Library of Scotland. Background Born in Montrose, he was ...

(1676–1755). In 1741, the estate passed to the Watsons of Saughton at which time it was called New Saughton. The house was bequeathed to the National Trust for Scotland in 1975 but, in 1977, the house was torched twice by vandals. The house was considered unsafe and was reduced to its external ground floor walls. In 1980 the City of Edinburgh Council was gifted the estate and declared it a Wilderness Park. The Council now maintain the grounds and operates a ranger service. Cammo is thought to have been the inspiration for the "House of Shaws" in Robert Louis Stevenson's novel ''

Kidnapped Kidnapped may refer to: * subject to the crime of kidnapping Literature * ''Kidnapped'' (novel), an 1886 novel by Robert Louis Stevenson * ''Kidnapped'' (comics), a 2007 graphic novel adaptation of R. L. Stevenson's novel by Alan Grant and Ca ...

''.

Cammo Tower () is a 19th-century water tower for Cammo House. Other remains include the ruined stable block, a formal canal, a bridge, and the lodge which now houses a small visitor centre. The grounds are now widely used by people for walking in, although other sections remain as farmland, used for cattle grazing.

Famous Residents

Alexander Charles Stephen Dr Alexander Charles Stephen FRSE PRPSE (17 December 1893 – 3 June 1966) was a 20th-century Scottish zoologist. Life He was born on 17 December 1893 in Garvock manse, near Laurencekirk in Aberdeenshire the son of Rev William Stephen. He was educ ...

zoologist lived at 17 Cammo Crescent

References

* Baillie, Simon J. ''The private world of Cammo'' (1995) * Bell, Raymond MacKean ''Literary Corstorphine: A reader's guide to West Edinburgh'', Leamington Books, Edinburgh 2017 * Cant, Michael, ''Villages of Edinburgh'' volumes 1 & 2, John Donald Publishers Ltd., Edinburgh, 1986-1987. & * Cowper, Alexandra Stewart ''Corstorphine Village, 1891'' (1973), Edinburgh University Extra-Mural Association * Dey, W.G. ''Corstorphine: A Pictorial History of a Midlothian Village'' (1990), Mainstream Publishing * Harris, Stuart (1996). The Place Names of Edinburgh. Edinburgh: Gordon Wright Publishing. p. 144. . * Sherman, Robin ''Old Murrayfield and Corstorphine'' (2003)

External links

Cammo Estate ParkFriends of Cammo
{{coord, 55, 57, 37.28, N, 3, 19, 0.11, W, display=title Areas of Edinburgh Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes Parks and commons in Edinburgh