Midhope Castle

Midhope Castle is a late 16th-century tower house standing in the hamlet of Abercorn on the Hopetoun estate in West Lothian. It sits about four kilometres west of South Queensferry, close to Edinburgh. The building is a simple oblong tower five storeys high, with a derelict interior. A Category A listed structure, it has been altered many times since it was first built. A two-chamber dovecot from the late 17th century stands nearby. The castle is surrounded by farmland and parkland on the estate. The castle’s past links it to several notable families. In the 14th century the lands belonged to Henry Graham, then passed to his daughters. One married into the Livingstone family, the other to John Martin, who became laird in the 15th century. A stone dated 1582 bears the initials of Alexander Drummond and his wife Marjory Bruce. Drummond once returned Mary, Queen of Scots’ jewels to Regent Morton. Fragments of painted ceilings survive, showing cinquefoil motifs and gold stars. Visitors see the ruined tower with its plain stone walls and small courtyard added in the 17th century. The dovecot’s two chambers still stand southeast of the castle. Inside, traces of the painted ceilings can be imagined from surviving fragments. The surrounding estate offers open fields and distant views toward the Firth of Forth. The castle appears in the Outlander series as Jamie Fraser’s home.