Gracemount Mansion

Edinburgh

In Person

2026 Theme

Gracemount Mansion is a historic c.1780 Georgian villa with deep roots in Edinburgh's medieval past. Originally named Priesthill, this local landmark served as the rectory for St Catherine’s Chapel and stands a short walk from the famous Balm Well.

Property Summary:

• Architectural Heritage: Built circa 1780, Gracemount Mansion (originally Priesthill) is a classic example of Georgian estate architecture, later adapted into a vital civic space for the Liberton area.
• Medieval Connections: The house historically served as the rectory for the lost St Catherine’s Chapel of the Kaims. Remarkably, stones believed to belong to the original chapel were recently discovered on the mansion's grounds.
• The Balm Well: The estate sits just half a mile from the historic Balm Well, an ancient natural spring famed for centuries as a place of healing and royal pilgrimage.
• Subterranean Folklore: Adding to Edinburgh's famous underground history, local lore suggests a hidden tunnel runs directly from the Mansion to the chapel site, echoing the nearby subterranean mystery of Gilmerton Coves.
• Civic Renewal: Having served as a community hub for decades, the building is now central to exciting community-led heritage restoration plans, making it a perfect feature for Doors Open Days.

Activities:

Gracemount Mansion invites the public to a family-friendly Doors Open Day that brings together heritage preservation, youth sports, and community imagination. In alignment with this year's theme, Heritage at Risk: Revive, Resist, Reimagine, our main feature will be exclusive guided 'Hard Hat Tours', offering visitors an up-close look at the mansion’s history, architectural challenges, and our community-led restoration project.

Inside the foyer, we will host an inspiring exhibition showcasing this year’s university art students and their creative interpretations of the mansion's future. Sharavan’s dedicated documentary film about the Mansion’s legacy will also be screened throughout the day.

Outside in our grounds, we are showcasing how we 'revive' our public spaces. Our Multi-Use Games Area (MUGA) will be fully activated to highlight how we integrate youth sports and community well-being into our heritage site. For children and families, we will feature a large-scale interactive model of the mansion where kids can play and use stickers to share their own visions of what they want the mansion and outdoor spaces to become. Additionally, visitors can enjoy fun, open-air activities or enjoy spending time in the unique grounds.

2026 Theme: Heritage at Risk: Revive, Resist, Reimagine

Gracemount Mansion directly embodies the 2026 theme across all our scheduled activities, bridging the urgent physical preservation of the building with active community life:

• Heritage at Risk & Resist: The mansion is a historic building currently facing significant structural and preservation challenges. Our new 'Hard Hat Tours' will give the public an honest, up-close look at these physical risks, educating visitors on why protecting this architectural heritage is vital for South Edinburgh. This activity speaks to our community’s active resistance against losing local history, using our shared heritage as a source of local identity and resilience.
• Revive: We are actively resisting the loss of this space by physically reviving its grounds for public use. By incorporating our Multi-Use Games Area (MUGA) into the event, we showcase how an underutilised, at-risk space can be successfully revived into a healthy, active asset for local youth and sports. Furthermore, our woodland gardens will host active learning, and the screening of Sharavan's documentary film, breathing new life into endangered local stories and traditions.
• Reimagine: Through our continued partnership with Edinburgh College of Art students, visitors will interact with architectural and design models that completely reimagine the mansion’s interior. This demonstrates how historical structures can be adapted creatively to serve modern, diverse community needs without losing their cultural soul. For younger visitors, a large-scale interactive model of the mansion will allow children to play and use stickers to actively vote and 'reimagine' what they want the mansion and grounds to become, ensuring the space remains meaningful for future generations.

Facilities

• Disabled WC
• WC
• Events For Children
• Parking
• Not Accessible
• Limited Access

Additional Access Information

Limited wheelchair access. Parking available on local streets nearby.

Gallery