The Castles of Scotland

Humbie Old Place

Lothians: About 5 miles east of Pathhead, on minor roads and foot south of B6368, north-west of Humbie Mains.

Ruin or site NT 467627 OS: 66 EH36 5PB

Site of castle, mentioned as a tower, fortalice and manor house in 1646, the last remains of which had been removed by 1853. It was replaced by Humbie House [NT 347664], a mansion dating from towards the end of the 18th century, with later extensions.

Humbie House, a fine mansion that replaced an older building, held by the Lawsons and the Hepburns, near Pathhead, in East Lothian in south-east Scotland

Humbie Old Place: Humbie House (old postcard)

‘Humby’ is marked on Blaeu’s map of The Lothians, then on Adair’s map of East Lothian as ‘Humby’, shown in formal gardens and a large rectangular wooded park.
The lands were held by the Lawsons. Sir James Lawson of Humbie was a Gentleman of the Bedchamber to James VI, but while riding strayed into quicksand on Belhelvie beach and was killed. His body was recovered, although his horse was never found. Humbie had been sold to the Hepburns in 1586, and Sir Adam Hepburn of Humbie was a Senator of the College of Justice and a Colonel in the Covenanting army of David Leslie, and he had the ratification mentioned above. The Hepburns of Humbie acquired Crichton Castle. The property passed after 1800 through marriage to the Scotts (afterwards Hepburne-Scotts), who were Lords Polwarth from 1835.
The house is still occupied.

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