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Castle with remains of earlier structures still visible. The 14th century polygonal courtyard (enceinte) castle was extended in the 17th century to an L-plan tower-house. On the west side, one of the original square corner towers rises six storeys out of the living rock above a deep gorge. Its original height is marked by corbels, a campanile extension added in Victorian times. The L-plan tower house was in turn absorbed into the back of a pedimented 3 storey Georgian country house in the late 18th Century. Onto the east of this mansion, a further wing of two storeys and six bays was added in the 18th Century for Alexander Porteous. After its use as a barracks in the Second World War and subsequent neglect, part of the tower house collapsed and the Georgian mansion was demolished. From as early as 1243 Lauriston, which took its name from the Chapel of St Laurence, belonged to the family of de Strivelyn or Stirling. They were succeeded by the Straitons whose lairdship ended in 1695 when the barony was acquired by Sir James Falconer of Phesdo. (For Gardens see NO76NE0029). In 1994, the derelict part of the site was replaced by a castle of a totally new design, including a great hall and wide wheel staircase, doocot with cap-house and an extended curtain-wall pierced with viewing windows.
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