Cammo sits on the far west of the city, which you'd pass on the way to South Queensferry. The tower is visible when you head on the Maybury Road close to the Barnton Roundabout. It's an interesting spot and popular for dog walkers.
When I was a kid, we used to pitch a tent out in the woods and converse stories about the haunted tower or "The Witch's Tower" as we used to call it. The tower is completely hollow but you can step inside though I remember seeing bats there once so keep your eyes peeled.
Cammo Tower
The estate was built in 1693 for John Menzies with a walled garden. It was bought in 1710 by Sir John Clerk of Penicuik to which was added a stable and a Portugal garden.
In 1724 the house changed hands and the Hog family resided there, adding the canal.
Walking towards the stables in Cammo Park
The stables
The stables were quite long
The house changed hands in 1741 to the Watsons of Saughton and the name of the house changed to New Saughton. From 1805 it remained in the hands of the son, also called James, who added the stables and the tower.
The tower rises from behind the fields.
The property was then purchased in 1873 by Alexander Campbell who changed the name back to Cammo House, but subsequently it was taken over by Mrs Maitland-Tennant and her son until 1975 when it was bequethed to the National Trust.
Entrance into Cammo House
The tower looms large with trees on a hill in the background
Unfortunately the estated was twice burned down by vandals in 1977 from which it never recovered.
The interior of the tower
View from Cammo Park with the Pentlands in the distance
You could walk around the estate, which is managed by Edinburgh Council, in one hour and there is nice picnic spots. To get to it, drive through Cammo housing estate where you will come to an entrance and parking facilities. There's a map which directs you to the estate.
A map offers easy directions around the estate
These photographs were taken in 2014 and 2015.
More at www.hereandback.co.uk
All the best
Holly
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