Cammo House

Ruin of Cammo House
©2022 Gazetteer for Scotland

Ruin of Cammo House

The ruins of Cammo House lie amongst parkland to the south of the River Almond in W Edinburgh a half-mile (1 km) southwest of Cramond Bridge and a mile (1.5 km) east northeast of the freight section of Edinburgh Airport at Turnhouse. Built for John Menzies in 1693, the surrounding parkland was laid out between 1710-26 by amateur architect Sir John Clerk of Penicuik (1676 - 1755). In 1741, the estate passed to the Watsons of Saughton. Cammo is thought to have been the inspiration for the House of Shaws in Robert Louis Stevenson's novel Kidnapped.

Only the lower section of the walls of the house survive, raised on a grassy knoll. A disused walled garden and mid-18th century bridge, together with the ruins of a lodge (1789) and classically-styled stables (1811), all lie in the grounds. The grounds also contain some fine specimen trees, including a particularly large ash which is thought to be the oldest in Edinburgh. The ancient Cammo Stane lies on the driveway.

The estate was gifted to the National Trust for Scotland in 1980 and is now managed in association with the City of Edinburgh Council, who run a ranger station based in the east lodge.


Use the tabs on the right of this page to see other parts of this entry arrow

If you have found this information useful please consider making
a donation to help maintain and improve this resource. More info...

By using our site you agree to accept cookies, which help us serve you better