With its calm, tranquil atmosphere, and stunning views across the Firth of Forth, Lauriston is the perfect place to escape from the bustle of the city centre.

Enjoy a woodland walk, a visit to our award-winning Japanese garden, or step back in time and experience what life was like in an Edinburgh middle-class home at the beginning of the 20th century by booking on a castle tour. Entry to Lauriston Castle itself is by guided tour only.

We have now launched our exciting and diverse events programme. To check out all the events visit our What's On page.  Listed chronologically, there is something for everyone. We have lectures and talks, family events, creative workshops, costumed performances, murder mysteries, film screenings, horror tours and lots more!

It's our mission to make our venues user-friendly for all visitors.  The Lauriston Castle Visual Guide is a go-to source of information for anyone visiting who is neurodivergent or has additional support needs (ASN). From planning your visit, knowing what to expect when you arrive, the things you will see and hear, as well as what to expect from the guided tour of the castle and highlight key facts that will help you enjoy the grounds and woodland trails. Scroll further down this page to click on our Visual Story.

We also have a sensory backpack to support anyone visiting who is neurodivergent or has additional support needs (ASN).  Please ask for this on arrival for a tour. 

Tours of the Castle do have steps due to the historical nature of the building. If you require a visit with step-free access please ring the Castle on 0131 336 2060 for information. 

 

'Thank you so much for another fantastic workshop. Lauriston is an incredible asset to the community and workshops like these are super important for creativity, community and wellbeing. Thank you' Visitor

'One of my favourite places in Edinburgh' Visitor

'...an impressive collection of fine furniture and ceramics, as well as the personal belongings of its wealthy owners. Look for the newspaper in the sitting room reporting the sinking of the Titanic'. Telegraph 

Contact us

For event enquiries, learning opportunities and volunteering contact margaret.findlay@edinburgh.gov.uk

For tours contact lauristoncastle@edinburgh.gov.uk 

For hire of gardens for filming and weddings contact publicspaces@edinburgh.gov.uk

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Explore

Tours

Highlights tours Tuesday to Sunday at 1.30pm and 3pm. There are no tours on Mondays. Tour spaces are limited, please book your space on the link opposite.

Book now for a tour of the Castle

Visual Guide

This new guide has been created in partnership with Lauriston Castle and Edge Group Scotland Ltd’s Transitions Programme Team. For more information about Edge Group Scotland Ltd, please visit https://www.edgeautism.com

3 Images of visual guide

Meet Mr and Mrs Reid

The collections at Lauriston Castle were assembled by Lauriston’s last residents, Mr and Mrs W. R. Reid, and Mrs Reid’s brother Mr William Barton. They shared an understanding that the last of them surviving would leave the house, grounds and contents in Trust to the Nation, and so after the death of Mrs Reid in 1926 the Castle became a museum.

Lauriston’s last residents epitomised the Scottish Edwardian wealthy middle class. They were cultured, widely-travelled, and were all born in Edinburgh, into families of established local businesses. 

Lauriston Castle Interior

Mr Reid owned one of Scotland’s leading cabinet making business, Morison & Company, interior decorators and furniture manufacturers, with branches in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Manchester. You can see many fine examples of Morison and Co. furniture inside the Castle.

Mrs Reid’s brother, William Barton, ran a large-scale plumbing and ‘sanitary engineering’ business, installing plumbing and electrical work and even inventing a revolutionary steam sterilizing system for hospitals. He worked closely with his brother-in-law’s cabinet making and interior design Company, and they were responsible for the bathrooms, electric lighting and central heating which turned Lauriston Castle into a modern Edwardian Home.

Lauriston’s collections are displayed within an interior designed by William Robert Reid. Some of the objects were brought from their former home at 78 George Street, Edinburgh – the mezzotint engravings, Sheffield plate, Scottish and English furniture, and Chinese and Dutch blue and white ceramics; which were all fashionable collector’s items of the period.

The Reids and their dog

The Reids’ move to Lauriston Castle in 1903 inspired the development of new collections. The Southern Italian and Dutch furniture, Blue John ornaments, Eastern rugs and Crossley wool mosaics were all collected to complement Mr Reids design for Lauriston’s elegant Edwardian interiors.

The furniture collection includes pieces from Scotland, England and Europe. There is an elegant Lady’s writing desk made in Scotland in about 1800, fine examples of beautifully crafted Parisian furniture - such as a French commode made in the 1780s by G W Dester who became a master of the Corporation of Cabinet makers in Paris in 1774..Our most remarkable pieces are Mr Reid’s collection of 18th century Italian Furniture, with examples from Naples, Sicily, Lombardy, Venice and Rome. Perhaps the most spectacular of all is a table top, dating from about 1590, and made in a technique known as ‘pietra dura’ in which marble and semiprecious stones are cut and fitted into a slab of marble to create complex and beautiful patterns. The table stands in the Reception Hall at the castle used the colours from the different stones in this table as the design inspiration for whole room.

As well as the many thousands of items collected by the Castle’s last owners you can also see some of their more personal belongings, There are all manner of details which give insight into the lives of the people who lived at Lauriston in the early 20th century from Mrs Reids piano and music in the Drawing Room, a newspaper in the Sitting room reporting the sinking of the Titanic, a 1920’s telephone in Mr Reids Study, and Mrs Reid walking stick with her name attached on a silver plaque by the castle doorway.  

Mimi's Bakehouse | Monday–Sunday 10am-4pm

Mimi’s Little Bakehouse opened in the beautiful grounds of Lauriston Castle in the summer of 2020. Operating mainly as a takeaway service with limited seating, we serve a small all-day brunch menu and a selection of award-winning cakes and hot drinks.

We do not take bookings for this store and we welcome well-behaved dogs.

Sustainability: our packaging is vegeware and compostable, we work with changeworks who are a zero landfill waste company and we have recently introduced crockery inside to help reduce our waste.

Thank you so much for another fantastic workshop. Lauriston is an incredible asset to the community and workshops like these are super important for creativity, community and wellbeing. Thank you. Tripadvisor review

Lauriston Castle Access Guide

Click on the link below to download our comprehensive access guide and find out how you can get to and around Lauriston Castle. 

 

Lauriston Castle

Lauriston Castle BSL Tour

Lauriston Castle BSL tour

For all accessibility enquiries please contact the venue on: 

+44 (0) 131 336 2060
museumsandgalleries@edinburgh.gov.uk

Family Sensory Backpacks

Our vision is to mainstream the range of services for all autistic visitors, their families and carers, across all ages in the City of Edinburgh. Our sensory packs are now available  for anyone visiting who is neurodivergent or has additional support needs (ASN). It's our mission to make our venues user-friendly for all.  We have launched sensory backpacks in Lauriston Castle for families to borrow and use during their visit.  The pack contains:

  • Ear Defenders
  • A range of Fidget Toys
  • Notepad and Drawing Pencil
  • Emotion Cards

Please ask at reception desks to borrow the pack during your visit to the museum. Lauriston Castle has one backpack.

A yellow backpack with various sensory toys, including ear defenders, fidget toys, a notepad and pencil and emotion cards

Lauriston Castle is a 3 star historic house. 

Events