Edinburgh - Lauriston Castle

This Edwardian country mansion (in Cramond Road South, 4mi/6.4km northwest of the town center) was originally built by Sir Archibald Napier, the father of the mathematician and discoverer of logarithms John Napier. In 1827 it was bought by the banker and newspaper publisher Thomas Allan who commissioned William Burn to make considerable extensions.

Around 1903 William Reid, the owner of Morrison joiners in Edinburgh, provided furniture for the mansion's interior and he also acquired the valuable 18th C English and Italian works, the Blue John vases from Derbyshire and the Crossley wool mosaic.