Cairns Castle

Livingston, United Kingdom

Cairns Castle is a ruined keep, dating from the 15th century. The Crichtons inherited the castle through marriage of the heiress of the castle who was the granddaughter of William de Carnys the original owner.

The castle has an adjoining wing. It has a vaulted basement, a kitchen on the ground floor, and a hall above. All floors were reached by a turnpike stair in the corner between the main block and the wing. There were at least three storeys. The kitchen fireplace was converted into an entrance. The entrance tower to the east no longer exists.

References:

Wikipedia

Castles and fortifications in United Kingdom

Address

Causewayend Farm Steading 1, Livingston, United Kingdom

See all sites in Livingston

Details

Founded: 15th century
Category: Castles and fortifications in United Kingdom

More Information

en.wikipedia.org

User Reviews

travel with gem (4 years ago)
Got some pictures of the scenery and cairns castle but its on private property so could not view the inside or stay long as the landowner didn't want me there. Overall was very disappointed.

Kevin Coyle (4 years ago)
Beautiful green space next to a lovely little loch. Small but interesting castle to see too. Little bird watching shed to view the amazing wildlife.

Ulric Schwela (4 years ago)
The tower remaining only merits two stars as there are few interesting details, but there's a bonus star for the lakeside setting and the beautiful flooded landscape around the nextdoor bridge.

Fiona McGowran (4 years ago)
A lovely peaceful place with great walks

Jenn McKillop (4 years ago)
Scenic. Quiet. Lots of snowdrops. And a friendly old dog came to see us.

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Finest Norman castles in Italy

Exploring the History of Northern Poland

Discovering Slovenia's Historic Wonders

Photo from Flickr, copyright Following Hadrian

Historic Site of the week

Walls of Constantinople

The Walls of Constantinople are a series of defensive stone walls that have surrounded and protected the city of Constantinople (today Istanbul) since its founding as the new capital of the Roman Empire by Constantine the Great. With numerous additions and modifications during their history, they were the last great fortification system of antiquity, and one of the most complex and elaborate systems ever built. They were also the largest and strongest fortification in both the ancient and medieval world.

Initially built by Constantine the Great, the walls surrounded the new city on all sides, protecting it against attack from both sea and land. As the city grew, the famous double line of the Theodosian Walls was built in the 5th century. Although the other sections of the walls were less elaborate, they were, when well-manned, almost impregnable for any medieval besieger.