A vision of Britain through time
A vision of Britain from 1801 to now.
Including maps, statistical trends and historical descriptions.
A vision of Britain through time
A vision of Britain from 1801 to now.
Including maps, statistical trends and historical descriptions.
Melville Castle, the seat of Viscount Melville, in Lasswade parish, Edinburghshire, on the North Esk's left bank, 1 mile NNE of Lasswade village and 1¼ W by N of Eskbank station near Dalkeith. Built in 1786 from designs by John Playfair, it is a castellated three-story edifice of fair white stone, with round corner towers and two-story wings. The grounds are of great beauty. 'Melville's beechy grove' is celebrated in Sir Walter Scott's Grey Brother; and 11 of its beeches, 9 of its oaks, are described in Trans. Highl. and Ag. Soc. for 1881 as among the 'old and remarkable trees of Scotland.' Melville barony, originally called Male-ville, from Male, an Anglo-Norman baron, who was governor of Edinburgh Castle in the reign of Malcolm IV., remained in possession of his family till the time of Robert II., when it passed by marriage to Sir John Ross of Hawkhead. With his descendants, the Lords Ross, it continued till 1705; and, being afterwards purchased by David Rennie, it passed, by his daughter's marriage, to the eminent statesman Henry Dundas (1742-1811), who was created Viscount Melville in 1802. His grandson, Robert Dundas, fourth Viscount (b. 1803; suc. 1876), holds 1158 acres in Midlothian, valued at £3618 per annum.—Ord. Sur., sh. 32, 1857. See Lasswade, and John Small's Castles and Mansions of the Lothians (Edinb. 1883).
(F.H. Groome, Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland (1882-4); © 2004 Gazetteer for Scotland)
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| Feature Description: | "the seat" (ADL Feature Type: "residential sites") |
| Administrative units: | Lasswade ScoP Midlothian ScoCnty |
Pages for linked administrative units may contain historical statistics and information on boundaries.