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High House of Edmonston is a tower house situated in Lanarkshire, Scotland. Built upon bedrock of Silurian to Devonian age comprising mafic lava and tuff, the structure stands on geology typical of the volcanic landscapes of southern Scotland. Tower houses of this type were fortified residences constructed by landholders across Scotland, particularly from the 15th century onwards, serving as both defensive strongholds and symbols of territorial authority.
The tower house represents the domestic architecture of the medieval and early modern Scottish gentry, designed to provide secure family accommodation whilst offering protection against the endemic raids and feuds characteristic of the Scottish Borders and adjacent regions. The building exemplifies the practical approach to fortification employed by minor nobility and substantial landholders who required structures more modest than great castles yet more defensible than unfortified halls.
High House of Edmonston is now protected by Historic Environment Scotland as a scheduled monument under reference SM5277, recognising its significance as a surviving example of Scottish tower house architecture. The monument contributes to understanding the domestic settlement patterns and defensive strategies of rural Lanarkshire during the medieval and post-medieval periods.
High House of Edmonston,tower house is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM5277. View the official record →
High House of Edmonston is a tower house situated in Lanarkshire, Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM5277.
High House of Edmonston,tower house is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Historic Environment Scotland — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in Scotland. The official designation reference is SM5277.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Knowe Kniffling,fort (9 km), Coulter,settlement 190m NE of Cow Castle (9.2 km), Cow Castle,fort (9.4 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of High House of Edmonston,tower house's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
High House of Edmonston,tower house stands on Unnamed Extrusive Rocks, Silurian To Devonian, bedrock that formed in the Devonian. The rock here is mafic lava and mafic tuff.