224 Craigiiiillar and its Environs. 



at least four hundred years old. At the close of the 

 last century it was partially burnt, and on being 

 restored, considerable alterations were made. On the 

 workmen breaking out a window in the room now 

 occupied as the library, a skeleton of a man was 

 discovered, who doubtless had been entombed 

 centuries before. It was surmised he might be one 

 of the Wauchopes of Niddrie, captured in one 

 of the numerous fights between the two families of 

 Wauchope of Niddrie and the Edmonstones at 

 that period. It appeared that a feud had broken 

 out between them in the reign of James V. which 

 became hereditary, and was kept up for a century. 

 On the skeleton being taken out, the shoes appeared 

 to be perfect, but, on being exposed to the air, they 

 crumbled into dust. A sword was found beside the 

 skeleton, which, unfortunately, has not been pre- 

 served. 



The Edmonstones of that ilk sold the property to 

 James Rait in 1626, whose grand-daughter and heiress 

 married John Wauchope, a younger son of the Laird 

 of Niddrie. When this John Wauchope was 



