Barnbougle Castle

Barnbougle Castle
Edinburgh, Scotland
Barnbougle Castle on the Firth of Forth, with Edinburgh in the distance
Barnbougle Castle
Coordinates	55°59′33″N 3°20′03″W / 55.9924348°N 3.3342916°W / 55.9924348; -3.3342916
Site history
Built	13th century

Barnbougle Castle is a much-altered tower house on the southern shore of the Firth of Forth, between Cramond and Queensferry, and within the parish of Dalmeny. It lies within the Earl of Rosebery's estate, just northwest of Dalmeny House. Although its history goes back to the 13th century, the present castle is the result of rebuilding in 1881 by the 5th Earl of Rosebery, who served as Prime Minister from 1894–1895.

Older forms of the name include Barnbughall, Barbogle, Parnbogalle, and Pronbugele. This comes from the British brinn bugel, meaning 'shepherd's hill', or bar an bugel, 'shepherd's hill top', or alternatively pren bugel, 'shepherd's tree'. All these names likely refer to the high ground which rises immediately behind the shore, which indeed give excellent views of the grazings around the mouth of the Cockle Burn.

Barnbougle was owned by the Mowbrays, a Norman family who were also lords of Dalmeny and Inverkeithing. The first building was a thirteenth-century tower house, constructed by Philip Mowbray. In 1615 the Mowbrays sold Barnbougle to Sir Thomas Hamilton, afterwards Earl of Haddington. It was sold again, by Sir Thomas' grandson in 1662, to Sir Archibald Primrose of Carrington, a senior judge who became Lord Justice General of Scotland in 1676. Sir Archibald's eldest son by his second marriage, also Archibald Primrose, was created Earl of Rosebery in 1703, and Barnbougle became the family seat. At some point during the 17th century, the original tower house was rebuilt or replaced.