What is recorded here

Preston Tower rose as a four-storey stronghold in Prestonpans before the Hamiltons claimed it, forcing intruders beneath a lean-to hoarding ready to drop boulders or boiling oil. John and Katherine Hamilton later added two storeys and carved their initials into Renaissance windows, turning a defensive keep into a display of family pride. The tower survived English fire, border wars and the stubborn labour of a coal mine whose winch and buckets still echo in Jonet Bailie’s will.

Scotland's National Record of the Historic Environment records Preston Tower as Tower House (medieval). The official map says its point is accurate as follows: NGR given to the nearest 1m. The record does not by itself mean that the public may enter the place.

Preston Tower, a medieval tower house in Scotland, was built in the late 15th or early 16th century by the Preston family, a prominent Lowland Scottish clan. It is remembered as an example of the defensive and residential architecture of the period, reflecting the social and military structures of the time.

The historic-place record does not grant public access. Check current conditions and ownership before entering land or a building.