Guidebook points out castle's little-known link to literary greats

A 17TH-CENTURY castle hidden in the heart of Edinburgh has been revealed as one of the most important literary think tanks in the city's history.

Craigcrook Castle features in a new guide to the city which will enable book lovers to discover the hidden gems of the Capital's literary heritage.

Edinburgh University graduate Andrew Lownie's new book, The Edinburgh Literary Companion, unmasks little-known places, including a terraced house in suburban Corstorphine and a north Edinburgh cemetery and the New Town home of a famous eccentric, as sites with literary connections.

In the shadow of Corstorphine Hill, Craigcrook Castle enjoyed a glittering reputation among the 19th century literati. Among those who attended elegant soires at the castle were Charles Dickens, Hans Christian Anderson, George Eliot and Alfred Lord Tennyson.

It is thought well-connected tenants who rented the building, such as publisher Archibald Constable, set up the parties.

Its reputation as a cultural hub prompted Henry Cockburn, the 19th-century judge, to remark: "No unofficial house in Scotland has had a greater influence on literary or political opinion."

Since 1719, the castle has been the property of one of the oldest trusts in Scotland - the Craigcrook Mortification - which currently leases it as office space for an interior design company.

Graeme Thom, the clerk and factor of the trust, said: "I hadn't realised that it had been such a literary hub at one time. That's not very well known at all."