Lauriston
Castle was left in trust to the nation by its last private owners, Mr
and Mrs William Robert Reid, who lived there from 1902 to 1926.
Its Edwardian-period interiors have been carefully preserved, and reflect the taste of wealthy middle-class collectors of the period.
As proprietor of Morison and Co., one of Scotland's leading cabinet-makers, Mr. Reid brought a lifetime's experience to the furnishing of Lauriston. Prints, paintings, tapestries, textiles, porcelain, Sheffield-plate, Blue John, British and Continental furniture and many objets d'art assembled by him, are enhanced by the Castle's carefully-considered decorative schemes.
The tranquility of its setting, overlooking the Firth of Forth, combined
with its proximity to the centre of Edinburgh, makes Lauriston typical
of the large suburban villas which once provided rural amenity for the
powerful and wealthy of the city. Hence, over the centuries, it housed
many notable Scots, including John Law, who rose to high office at the
French Court during the 1720s. Each year, Lauriston hosts a programme
of outdoor and indoor events, from spring to Christmas. Its superb croquet
lawns are home to the Edinburgh Croquet Club.