John Kay says

I take it you have been to the City Library at George IV Bridge where a section on Local History is available.

Johnni Stanton says

History of Peffermill House

Peffermill House was built in 1636 by Edgar Wallace of Wedderlie in the Merse, a family from Berwickshire.

This tall, imposing and rather dark house is surrounded by a large wooded garden on the south side of Duddingston Loch, and was originally part of a mill complex, which made paper in the late 18th century, known as Paper Milne, although Peffermill, in the old 'Scoto-Saxon' (poffre-mill) is said to mean 'the mill of the dark muddy stream' - which is the Braid Burn that runs through eastern garden of the house.

It is a three storey, L-plan structure with steeply pitched roofs and crow-stepped gables and has a circular stair-tower in the angle of the 'L'. The semi-dormered second floor above the string course has elaborately pedimented windows, and a corbelled chimney belonging to the first-floor hall. Traditionally it was thought that the house was connected by a subterranean passage to 14th-century Craigmillar Castle which lies directly to the south, although the distance between the two would have made this a formidable if not impossible undertaking.

In these modern times Peffermill House lies half hidden amongst the trees, to the south of Duddingston Loch across the large expanse of Prestonfield Golf Course, surrounded on two sides by factory units and modern housing. Sir Walter Scott, who wrote the 'Heart of Midlothian' in the garden of Duddingston Manse on the shores of the loch, could look directly across to Peffermill House, and may have used it as the model for the residence of the novel's 'laird of Dumbiedykes'. It is said to have been the residence of Mr. Thomas Braidwood, who pioneered the education of the deaf and dumb in Edinburgh in 1764, where he lived in the house with his pupils, and was visited by James Boswell and Dr Johnson when they returned to Edinburgh from their tour of the Hebrides in 1773.

Johnni Stanton

Johnni Stanton says

History of Peffermill House Peffermill House was built in 1636 by Edgar Wallace of Wedderlie in the Merse, a family from Berwickshire. This tall, imposing and rather dark house is surrounded by a large wooded garden on the south side of Duddingston Loch, and was originally part of a mill complex, which made paper in the late 18th century, known as Paper Milne, although Peffermill, in the old 'Scoto-Saxon' (poffre-mill) is said to mean 'the mill of the dark muddy stream' … which is the Braid Burn that runs through eastern garden of the house. It is a three storey, L-plan structure with steeply pitched roofs and crow-stepped gables and has a circular stair-tower in the angle of the 'L'. The semi-dormered second floor above the string course has elaborately pedimented windows, and a corbelled chimney belonging to the first-floor hall. Traditionally it was thought that the house was connected by a subterranean passage to 14th-century Craigmillar Castle which lies directly to the south, although the distance between the two would have made this a formidable if not impossible undertaking. In these modern times Peffermill House lies half hidden amongst the trees, to the south of Duddingston Loch across the large expanse of Prestonfield Golf Course, surrounded on two sides by factory units and modern housing. Sir Walter Scott, who wrote the 'Heart of Midlothian' in the garden of Duddingston Manse on the shores of the loch, could look directly across to Peffermill House, and may have used it as the model for the residence of the novel's 'laird of Dumbiedykes'. It is said to have been the residence of Mr. Thomas Braidwood, who pioneered the education of the deaf and dumb in Edinburgh in 1764, where he lived in the house with his pupils, and was visited by James Boswell and Dr Johnson when they returned to Edinburgh from their tour of the Hebrides in 1773.

Helen Dixie says

It is towards the end of the period you are asking about but my great grandparents lived at Peffermill House.  They moved there in about 1918.  My great grandfather was called Arthur Robertson Cushny and he was married to a lady called Sarah.  Prior to moving to Edinburgh he was Professor of Pharmacology at the University of Michigan then in 1905 they moved to England where he was appointed to the new Chair of Pharmacology at University College, London.  In 1918 he was invited to take up the Chair of Materia Medica at the University of Edinburgh and they moved into Peffermill House and dedicated much of their free time to gardening.  They kept geese to keep the grass short and two ewes.  The latter broke into the garden once and their invited guests, Professor Barger and his wife plus E M Forster were enlisted to help round them up.

juliet cheetham says

My husband and I have lived in Peffermill House for 16 years; and we have loved every minute of it.

I am now collecting information about as many people as possible who have lived here over the last 375 years. The further back you go the more difficult this is! If you know anyone who has lived here, or if you have lived here yourself, or if you know about any of the history of this lovely house please get in touch with me at

Peffermill House, 91 Peffermill Road, Edinburgh EH16 5UX

Juliet Cheetham