Uttershill Castle
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File:Uttershill Castle - geograph.org.uk - 1210641.jpgUttershill Castle is a ruinous 16th-century tower house, about {{convert|0.5|mi|1}} south of Penicuik, Midlothian, Scotland, south of the river North Esk, and west of the Black Burn.Coventry, Martin (1997) The Castles of Scotland. Goblinshead. {{ISBN|1-899874-10-0}} p.322
Alternative names are Utters Hill and Outtershill Castle.{{cite web |url=https://canmore.org.uk/site/51621/penicuik-castle-brae-uttershill-castle|work=Canmore|title=Uttershill Castle|accessdate=2017-09-23}}
History
The property belonged to the Prestons of Gorton and Craigmillar. In 1646 the Countess of Eglinton lived here. It was purchased by the Clerks of Penicuik in 1702. The castle was a ruin prior to the start of the 19th century, although it was used as a gunpowder store.{{cite book|author=Liz Hanson|title=Midlothian Through Time|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=E-EgCwAAQBAJ&pg=PT42|date=15 October 2015|publisher=Amberley Publishing Limited|isbn=978-1-4456-3512-5|pages=42–4}}
The excavation was carried out in October 1994, in advance of a proposed restoration programme.
Structure
The castle stands on a level base, bounded to the north-east by a scarp slope, about {{convert|0.8|m}} high.
The castle had two storeys or more, and may have had a courtyard. It had a vaulted basement, and a hall on the first storey, reached by a straight stair. In the 17th century an unvaulted kitchen, with a chamber above, was added, but it has long since been demolished.
The castle was built of freestone rubble, and was probably harled. It was rectangular, measuring externally {{convert|65|ft}} north east to south west by {{convert|23|ft}}.
The entrance was at ground level on the south side.{{cite web |url=http://www.stravaiging.com/history/castle/uttershill-castle|work=Stravaiging around Scotland |title=Uttershill Castle|accessdate=2017-09-23}}