Kipps Castle

Photo by Waldamer Matusik

Within the grounds of Kipps Farm in the Bathgate Hills is the remains of Kipps Castle. The castle was once home to Sir Robert Sibbald (1641-1722). 

Sibbald was born in Edinburgh but his family moved to Linlithgow to avoid the plague in 1645.

Photograph by Jim Knowles

Sibbald was famous for: 

      • Physician working in Edinburgh 
      • Started the botanical garden in Edinburgh 
      • Took a leading part in establishing the Royal College of Physicians in Edinburgh 

In 1682, Sibbald began assembling material for a projected two volume geographical description or atlas of Scotland. While the work was never published, many of the manuscripts describing aspects of the geography, natural history and antiquities of parts of Scotland have survived.  

In 1685 he was appointed the first professor of medicine at the University of Edinburgh 

He was knighted, named Physician to the King, and appointed Geographer Royal in 1682.

Sterlinensis praefectura, Sterlin-Shyr Joan Blaeu, Amsterdam, 1654 image courtesy of NLS