Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Macchu Picchu
Peru • 10 days, 9 nights
Peru: Machu Picchu & the Last Incan Bridges
from
Central Asia yurt night stars
Uzbekistan • 15 days, 14 nights
Central Asia Road Trip: Backroads & Bazaars
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Saquon Barkley Plaque
Kirkkasik Bedesten inside
Kirkkasik Bedesten
Someshwar Temple
Someshwar Temple
Grilled cheese and tomato soup are soulmates.
The Palisades Restaurant
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
A skeleton on display contemplating its own mortality.
Kid Mai Death Awareness Cafe
This classic London pub has a surprising history behind it.
John Snow
The beef, Guinness, and oyster pie sports a rich, flaky crust.
The Guinea
Welcome to one of the only floating pubs in the world.
Tamesis Dock
This may be the oldest pie in the world.
St Helens 'Oldest Pie' at The Turks Head
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Decoy’s wines reflect the terroir of California.
How a Wooden Duck Migrated From the California Wetlands to a Wine Label
12 days ago
There’s more to the French capital than the Eiffel Tower.
Dear Atlas: What Are Some Non-Touristy Things to Do in Paris?
15 days ago
The plants around Liz Dauncey in this photo are not poisonous, but many common garden and houseplants are.
Are Some of Your Favorite Houseplants Poisonous? AO Wants to Know.
22 days ago
“There may be a collective sense of a dark loneliness,” Dahl says, referring to Norway’s natural landscape.
In Norway, Easter Means Tucking Into Crime Stories
22 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United Kingdom Scotland Edinburgh Lauriston Castle

Lauriston Castle

This allegedly haunted 16th-century tower house-turned-museum exhibits thousands of spectacular objects.

Edinburgh, Scotland

Added By
Rachel Gould
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
Lauriston Castle, Edinburgh. South façade.   Supergolden/cc by sa-3.0
Lauriston Castle, Edinburgh. South façade.   Supergolden/cc by sa-3.0
Lauriston Castle.   Tom Pennington/cc by-sa 2.0
The Edinburgh Croquet Club is based at Lauriston Castle.   linkogecko / Atlas Obscura User
  SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
Commode   SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
  SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
  SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
  SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
Library   SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
Dinning Room   SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
  SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
  SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
Weighing Machine (RT.)   SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
Entrance Hall   SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
Sitting Room   SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
  SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
  SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
  SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
  SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
  SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
  SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
The view from the front of Lauriston Castle.   Richard Webb/cc by-sa 2.0
Lauriston Castle bedroom.   Victuallers/cc by-sa 1.0
Blue John vases in the Billiards Room of Lauriston Castle.   Victuallers/cc by-sa 1.0
  adamjasonmoore / Atlas Obscura User
Kyoto Friendship Garden at Lauriston Castle.   linkogecko / Atlas Obscura User
  adamjasonmoore / Atlas Obscura User
Kyoto Friendship Garden at Lauriston Castle.   linkogecko / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Step inside the upper-class Edwardian world of Mr. and Mrs. William Robert Reid, the last private owners of Lauriston Castle who bequeathed their home to the nation in 1926 on the condition that their priceless collection is maintained.

With 13th century origins as a medieval fortress belonging to the Napier family (to which the inventor of the logarithm, John Napier, belonged) Lauriston Castle is an extensively altered 16th-century manor house boasting idyllic grounds overlooking the Firth estuary. The house passed through several families over the centuries, ending with the Reids in 1903.

Born into respectively successful Edinburgh families, William Reid and his wife were the final residents of Lauriston Castle. When they moved from 78 George Street in Edinburgh, they brought with them a number of the objects that still adorn the castle’s interior today—including pieces of British furniture, Chinese porcelain, Dutch ceramics, an extensive collection of Blue John objects, and mezzotint engravings. The transition prompted their foray into collecting European furniture, oriental rugs, and other coveted decorative items that were popular in the day.

Highlights of the Lauriston Castle collection include a Scottish Lady’s writing desk constructed circa 1800, a late 18th-century French commode, William Reid’s exceptional collection of 18th-century Italian furniture, and a late 16th-century pietra dura tabletop boasting marble and magnificent semi-precious stones.

William Reid was the owner of Morison & Company, one of the nation’s most respected fabrication businesses; while his wife’s brother, William Barton, helmed a sanitary engineering company that dealt with plumbing, electrical work, and hospital sterilization. The brothers-in-law worked side by side given their complementary trades, and together they installed much of the "modern" cabinetry and interior décor in Lauriston Castle—not to mention the building’s plumbing, lighting, and heating.

In addition to the Reids’ notable collection of furniture and decorative objects, the museum exhibits a number of fascinating personal items from their daily lives like a newspaper clipping reporting the Titanic disaster, a telephone from the 1920s, Mr. Reid’s piano and sheet music, and Mrs. Reid’s walking stick.

Like most historic Edinburgh homes, Lauriston Castle is said to be haunted.

Related Tags

Castles Architecture Estates Collections Furniture Museums

Know Before You Go

To protect the safety of our visitors and staff Lauriston Castle is currently closed but the grounds are open to the public between 8 am-5 pm each day.

Atlas Obscura Adventures

Flavors of Scotland: Beyond the Haggis

Smoked seafood, single malt whisky, and warm hospitality.

Book Now

Community Contributors

Added By

Rachel Gould

Edited By

hrnick, SEANETTA, linkogecko, adamjasonmoore

  • hrnick
  • SEANETTA
  • linkogecko
  • adamjasonmoore

Published

November 21, 2018

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://www.edinburghmuseums.org.uk/venue/lauriston-castle
  • https://www.britainexpress.com/attractions.htm?attraction=1231
Lauriston Castle
2A Cramond Rd S
Edinburgh, Scotland
United Kingdom
55.971181, -3.278464
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Barnton Quarry Nuclear Bunker

Edinburgh, Scotland

miles away

Eagle Rock

Edinburgh, Scotland

miles away

Cramond Ghost Island

Edinburgh, Scotland

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Edinburgh

Edinburgh

Scotland

Places 184
Stories 7

Nearby Places

Barnton Quarry Nuclear Bunker

Edinburgh, Scotland

miles away

Eagle Rock

Edinburgh, Scotland

miles away

Cramond Ghost Island

Edinburgh, Scotland

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Edinburgh

Edinburgh

Scotland

Places 184
Stories 7

Related Places

  • Alatskivi Castle

    Alatskivi, Estonia

    Alatskivi Castle

    A wealthy aristocratic family built this Disney-worthy, fairy-tale castle.

  • Castillo Mundo King.

    Sosúa, Dominican Republic

    Castillo Mundo King

    An eccentric German artist built this weird and wondrous castle packed with shocking sculptures and alien art.

  • The 15th Century Merchants house that started it all.

    Stoke Heath, England

    The Avoncroft Museum of Historic Buildings

    A slightly surreal menagerie of structures that were lovingly spared from demolition and reconstructed in a field.

  • Barbara H. Hartsfield and her chairs

    Stone Mountain, Georgia

    Collectible and Antique Chair Gallery

    A semi-retired nurse’s record-setting collection of 3,000 tiny chairs.

  • The facade of the African Heritage House

    Mlolongo, Kenya

    African Heritage House

    This beautiful, all-in-one museum, private residence, and bed and breakfast houses a rich collection of African art.

  • Espai Xavier Corberó

    Esplugues de Llobregat, Spain

    Espai Xavier Corberó

    A surrealist labyrinth and museum of contemporary sculptures.

  • Este, Italy

    Castello Carrarese di Este

    The origins of a large, medieval castle are shrouded in mystery, but now it's a delightful garden.

  • Hatley Castle, garden side.

    Victoria, British Columbia

    Hatley Castle

    This castle was once considered as an option for the Royal Family's alternate residence, but you may know it better from the 'X-Men' movie.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.