Oxenfoord Castle

Cranston is a parish of Midlothian, Scotland, lying 4+1⁄4 miles (6.8 kilometres) south-east of Dalkeith. It is bounded by the parishes of Inveresk and Ormiston (East Lothian) on the east, by Crichton and Borthwick on the south ; and by Newbattle on the west and north. The River Tyne flows through the centre of the parish.The parish is in the northern part of the Tynewater Community Council area and includes the villages of Edgehead, Pathhead, Midlothian and Ford, and the mansions of Oxenfoord Castle and Preston Hall. In a northern salient of the parish, almost detached from the rest, lies the village of Cousland. The chapelry of Cousland was annexed to Cranston about the time of the Reformation.In the 12th century Cranston was divided into two baronies, Upper Cranston and Nether Cranston, which were later known as New Cranston and Cranston Ridel, respectively. The church stands at Nether Cranston, which was the larger of the two baronies. This district was granted to Hugh Ridel from whom it obtained the name. The parish church was built at the expense of General Sir John Dalrymple, of Oxenfoord, replacing the previous church which was in the old burial grounds south of Oxenfoord Castle's gardens. The old church had been damaged by fire in 1796 and rebuilt in 1798, but was finally replaced by the new building in 1824. The present church was damaged by fire in 1861, but was quickly repaired and enlarged. The manse, which was re-sited from beside the Lion's Gate of Prestonhall House in 1835, has now been sold as a private house.A Parochial Board was established under the Poor Law (Scotland) Act 1845. With the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1894 the Parish Council was established, which continued until 1930 when parish councils in Scotland were abolished,. Civil parishes persist for census and other non-administrative purposes. The civil parish has a population of 601 (in 2011).

Preston Hall, or Prestonhall, is a late-18th-century mansion in Midlothian, to the south of Edinburgh, Scotland. It is located 1.5 kilometres (0.93 mi) north of Pathhead on the east side of the Tyne Water, opposite Oxenfoord Castle on the west side. The house, together with several estate buildings, are the work of architect Robert Mitchell (fl. 1770–1809), and are protected as Category A listed buildings, the highest level of protection for a historic building in Scotland.

Pathhead village is a conservation area in Midlothian, Scotland.

Dewartown is a small hamlet in Midlothian, Scotland (near Pathhead and Mayfield). Its name relates to the Dewar family who owned the nearby Vogrie House and Estate which is now in Vogrie Country Park. The village is reputed to have had five public houses during the 19th century, providing for the many farm workers, miners and house staff from the local community. Dewartown is still not listed on many maps, despite the fact a number of the cottages date back to the early 18th century. Signs erected in the late 1990s depicted the village as 'Dewarton', rather than 'Dewartown'. These were replaced with the latter spelling, despite the fact both spellings are competent, the former being a regional contraction, vis 'ton' meaning 'town'.

Edgehead (also known as Chesterhill) is a village in Midlothian, Scotland.

Vogrie Country Park in Scotland is managed by Midlothian Council. It consists of a woodland estate surrounding the Victorian Vogrie House. It is located around 12 miles (19 km) from Edinburgh between Pathhead and Gorebridge. Facilities in the parkland include a miniature railway, 9-hole golf course, children's play area and four miles of walks. The River Tyne flows through the park.

Vogrie House forms the centrepiece of Vogrie Country Park in Midlothian. It was built for James Dewar and his family in 1876 by Andrew Heiton, the town architect for Perth. Dewar was the creator of Dewar's whisky. The current house is an example of Victorian baronial splendour and is said to be one of the best surviving examples of Heiton's work. The house was a typical country house with a library, servants' quarters and many bedrooms. Transformed in 1926 into a nursing home for the Royal Edinburgh Hospital, by Ernest Auldjo Jamieson the house was sold on to local government in the 1950s and had a role during the Cold War as a control centre for communications.

Cousland Castle is a ruined castle near the town of Cousland, Midlothian, Scotland.

Cousland is a village in Midlothian, Scotland. It is located 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) east of Dalkeith and 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) west of Ormiston, on a hill between the Rivers Tyne and Esk.

Crichton is a small village and civil parish in Midlothian, Scotland, around 2 miles (3 km) south of Pathhead and the same distance east of Gorebridge. The second element of the name is clearly from the Old English word tūn 'farm, settlement'. The first element is less certain, however, and could be from Gaelic crioch 'border' or Cumbric craig 'rock'.To the west of the village is the 15th-century parish church, formerly a collegiate church, established by William Crichton, 1st Lord Crichton, the Lord Chancellor of Scotland from 1439 to 1453. To the south of the church is Crichton Castle, begun in the late 14th century by William's father John de Crichton and featuring a fine 16th-century Italianate courtyard façade. The civil parish has a population of 1,223 in 2011.

Crichton Collegiate Church is situated about 0.6 miles (0.97 km) south-west of the hamlet of Crichton in Midlothian, Scotland.

Crichton Castle is a ruined castle near the village of Crichton in Midlothian, Scotland. It is situated at the head of the River Tyne, 2 miles (3.2 km) south of the village of Pathhead, and the same distance east of Gorebridge. Constructed as a tower house in the late 14th century, it was expanded as the power of the Crichton family grew. However, the Crichtons fell from favour in the later 15th century, and the castle passed to the Earls of Bothwell. Francis Stewart, 5th Earl of Bothwell, constructed the Italianate north range in the 1580s, featuring an elaborate diamond-patterned facade. After Bothwell was accused of witchcraft the castle fell into neglect. The ruins are now in the care of Historic Environment Scotland, and are open to the public. A mile to the south-west is Borthwick Castle, a 15th-century tower house that is still in use.