Stoneypath Tower, is an L-plan tower house

Tower house

A tower house is a particular type of stone structure, built for defensive purposes as well as habitation.-History:Tower houses began to appear in the Middle Ages, especially in mountain or limited access areas, in order to command and defend strategic points with reduced forces...

 dating from the late sixteenth, about 3.5 miles (5.6 km) south of East Linton

East Linton

East Linton is a town in East Lothian, Scotland, situated on the River Tyne and A199 road five miles east of Haddington, with a population of 1,774...

, and east of the Whittinghame Water in East Lothian

East Lothian

East Lothian is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, and a lieutenancy Area. It borders the City of Edinburgh, Scottish Borders and Midlothian. Its administrative centre is Haddington, although its largest town is Musselburgh....

, Scotland

Scotland

Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...

.

History

Stoneypath Tower was at first a property of the Lyles, but past thereafter in succession to the Hamiltons of Innerwick

Innerwick

Innerwick is a coastal civil parish and small village, which lies in the east of East Lothian, from Dunbar and approximately from Edinburgh....

, the Douglases

Clan Douglas

Clan Douglas is an ancient Scottish kindred from the Scottish Lowlands taking its name from Douglas, South Lanarkshire, and thence spreading through the Scottish Borderland, Angus, Lothian and beyond. The clan does not currently have a chief, therefore it is considered an armigerous clan.The...

 of Whittinghame, and the Setons

Seton (surname)

Seton is the surname of a prominent Scottish Lowlands family, and may refer to:Hereditary Titles:* The Baronet of Olivestob* The Baronet of Windygoul* The Baronets of Abercorn* The Baronets of Garleton* The Baronets of Pitmedden* The Lords Seton...

. It some stage in may have been blown up.

The building is a Scheduled Ancient Monument

Scheduled Ancient Monument

In the United Kingdom, a scheduled monument is a 'nationally important' archaeological site or historic building, given protection against unauthorized change. The various pieces of legislation used for legally protecting heritage assets from damage and destruction are grouped under the term...

. It has now been restored.

Structure

Defended by three steep sides, the tower stands on a promontory. It may include part of a keep built in the previous century. The original entrance, approached by an external stair, has been sealed. A turnpike stair reached all floors. On the second floor was the hall. The thickness of the wall enclosed a prison.

The keep was built of rubble, with some freestone dressings. There were originally three stories. The wing contained two chambers.

Nunraw Abbey is about 0.5 mile (0.80467 km) to the south.