Ratho

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Ratho is a village which lies to the west of Edinburgh in Scotland. Formerly in the old county of Midlothian it is now administered by Edinburgh City Council. Newbridge and Kirkliston are other villages in the area. The Union Canal passes through Ratho. Edinburgh Airport is situated only 4 miles (7 km) away. It is believed that the name Ratho comes from Rathach, Scottish Gaelic for a place where there is an old fort.

There are a number of old buildings in the area. The most prominent of these was Haltoun House or castle (sometimes spelt Hatton), which was badly damaged by fire in the mid-1950s and subsequently taken down. This magnificent country house evolved from its central core, a Norman keep, or what Scots call a Pele Tower. In 1371 the manor and lands of Hatton passed to Alan de Lawedre [Lauder] of that Ilk who then resided mostly at Whitslaid Tower just outside Lauder. Hatton Castle was damaged during the House of Douglas troubles of 1452, when a note in the Treasurers' Accounts show funds being provided for its repair. The Haltoun estates remained in the Lauder family until the latter half of the 17th century when they passed by marriage to Charles Maitland, 3rd Earl of Lauderdale, who enlarged and beautified Hatton House.

The largest indoor climbing centre in Europe, and one of the biggest in the world, opened in October 2004 is nearby Ratho, on the bank of the Union Canal. It boasts 2,400m² of artificial climbing surface, including 400m² of free-standing boulders. The centre is unique in its use of covered natural rock. Competitive and amateur climbers are attracted from around the world and the centre provides training up to World Cup competition standard. Above the climbing arena is SkyRide, a 150m aerial assault course taking 10-30 minutes.

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[edit] External links

• Ratho on Undiscovered Scotland
• The Adventure Centre - Ratho
• Ratho on Google Maps - The M8 is visible to the North and the Union Canal runs West to East. The Adventure Centre is clearly visible betweek the two and Ratho itself is to the East.