Corstorphine Heritage Centre (The Dower House)

The Dower House is one of the oldest inhabited buildings in the City of Edinburgh. Its origins can be traced back to 1587. It was in the ownership of James Ingles and J P Wood in his “Draft History of Corstorphine Parish” (written in 1792) mentions the stones being removed from the old castle site to build “Mr Michelson’s house that was the residence of the Lord Forresters”. It is sometimes referred to as Gibsone’s Lodge after its late 18th century occupants, the Gibsones of Pentland.

The building has characteristic Scottish crow-stepped gables and scrolled skew puts. The exterior is harled and lime washed and shows signs of alteration over the years with both gable ends probably having been built at different times.

In 2000 The Corstorphine Trust decided to change the name of the building to the Corstorphine Heritage Centre which better reflects the use to which it is put today.

We had intended to open to in-person visits for this Doors Open weekend, but sadly this is no longer possible. Instead, we’ll be uploading a pre-recorded video showing the interior of the building, including our museum collection, with narration on the building’s history to our website and our Facebook page. You also might enjoy our presentation below exploring the history of Corstorphine and its incorporation into the City of Edinburgh in 1920.