Merchiston Tower

The 15th century Merchiston Tower is now surrounded by the modern buildings of Napier Merchiston University. The tower remained on and off in the Napier family until 1914 when it was then sold to Merchiston Castle School which had rented the property for almost 80 years. After the school moved in 1930 it was empty, except during the war, for almost 40 years before becoming part of the present university.
The main entrance was at second floor level in the south front with a drawbridge which was 14 feet above ground level. It was frequently under siege and during restoration in the 1960s a twenty six pound cannonball believed to date from 1572 was found embedded in one of the six foot thick walls. Shortly after being let to the school it was altered by adding a castellated Gothic style two-story extension and a basement.
Merchiston Castle was the seat of the powerful Napier of Merchiston family of whom the most well known is the great Scottish inventor, John Napier, the 8th Laird of Merchiston who invented many engineering and scientific devices but is most famous for inventing logarithms. Maybe in future someone presently studying at this Faculty of Computing, Engineering and Creative Industries will become equally famous.