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Built in 1855 The Walltower stands within Walltower farm. The farm is thought to be built on a defensive position that guarded the southerly approaches to Edinburgh from the clans and bandits from the south of Scotland.

Edinburgh was built on the back of its seafaring trade links with the rest of the British Empire and Scandinavia and became one of the great trading cities of the last millennium. The vast amount of goods which were routed through Edinburgh were, to a large extent, for onward transfer to the rest of Scotland and the north of England, these goods need protection in the lawless days of the early part of the last millennium.

Although the clans and bandits were based in the south of Scotland they roamed the outskirts of Edinburgh robbing and stealing from traders as the goods were taken to their final destination.

A string of strong points were built around Edinburgh to protect the goods in the vulnerable early parts of the journey, usually a fort that housed a small garrison who patrolled out from their base to offer protection to the traders. The forts were a defensive position that consisted of a walled fort with observation towers - hence the name The Walltower.

The forts were satellites of the much larger Edinburgh garrison based in Edinburgh Castle who provided back up to the remote forts when needed.

To a large extent these forts were very successful and became surplus to requirements as the bandits were driven away from Edinburgh and back to the Scottish Borders. The forts became derelict and, as time passed, ownership was passed to local farmers who took over the land to provide for the people of Edinburgh.

This is exactly what happened with The Walltower farm; the only link now remaining being the farms name.

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