Preston Tower

Preston tower is an impressive tower sited in a public park in Prestonpans, east of Edinburgh, and the exterior is visible at all times from the park, which has limited public parking. It is occasionally open to the public. The tower is probably late 15th or early 16th century in date, although the lower parts of the tower may be earlier.

The lands of Preston were held by the Quincy family prior to their dispossession by Robert Brue, who granted them to the Setons. A couple of marriages later, Preston passed to the Hamilton family in about 1425. It is, on balance, most likely that the L-plan tower was built by the Hamiltons at about this time, although it was burned out in 1544 and then repaired. The Hamiltons also added a two storey house in two phases on the top of the tower in the 17th century, and after a brief occupation by Cromwellian soldiers in 1650, teh tower was never really brought back into use, and accidentally burned down in 1663, at which point it was abandoned. In 1684 the Hamiltons were forfeited, the estate reverting to the crown. It is owned by the National Trust for Scotland, but administered by the local authority.

There is no official website but information can be gathered from the Doors Open Days website (updated annually) and Salt of the Earth Heritage, a local heritage group.

HES Canmore database entry

Reconstruction by Bob Marshall (image 8)