The enchanting family house and gardens near Edinburgh with a hint of fairytale castle
Northfield House is a historic Scottish home, just 10 miles from Edinburgh.


Close to the heart of Prestonpans, the East Lothian town noted for its collection of listed buildings including Preston Tower and the noteworthy Mercat Cross, is Northfield House – an enchanting and meticulously restored house situated within its own secluded grounds.
Currently on the market with Savills at a guide price of £1 million, Northfield House was built for the Hamiltons of Preston (who occupied nearby Preston Tower) in the late sixteenth century and was sold to Joseph Marjoribanks, a burgess of Edinburgh in 1607.
Marjoribanks and his wife Marion Symesoune, whose initials and the date 1611 and inscription ‘EXCEP THE LORD BVLD IN WANE BVLDS MAN’ grace the smart Renaissance doorway on the south front of the house, were responsible for a major remodelling of the mansion house between 1608 and 1611.
Since then, the house has escaped major enlargement, but has been gently brought up to date by successive owners.
Northfield House is a L-plan house of three storeys and a garret. Large bartizans crown all corners, the pitch of the roof is very steep, and there are corbiestepped gables.
The gardens and grounds are particularly beautiful. The area immediately to the south of the house include lawns and flower beds with box bushes and roses.
There is a magnificent weeping ash tree, bay tree, productive pear trees and a belt of mature trees along the southern boundary providing a good deal of privacy. To the west lies the orchard and vegetable garden.
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Just 10 miles east of Edinburgh, Northfield House is conveniently located with a good local rail link and road connections to the city. Edinburgh Airport is approximately 20 miles by road and Dunbar has mainline railway connections to London.
Northfield House is on the market with Savills at a guide price of £1 million – see more details and pictures.
Credit: tim gartside / Alamy Stock Photo
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Agnes has worked for Country Life in various guises — across print, digital and specialist editorial projects — before finally finding her spiritual home on the Features Desk. A graduate of Central St. Martins College of Art & Design she has worked on luxury titles including GQ and Wallpaper* and has written for Condé Nast Contract Publishing, Horse & Hound, Esquire and The Independent on Sunday. She is currently writing a book about dogs, due to be published by Rizzoli New York in September 2025.
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