Alexander Napier, a wealthy Edinburgh merchant and provost of the city, acquired the estate from King James I in 1436.

On the fringes of the area where it meets Craiglockhart (to the west) is the South Suburban railway line, which closed to passenger traffic in 1962.

The park provides a range of recreational facilities including pitches, play area, cycle path and a formal garden.

1 Ladies' Detective Agency novels), politician Sir Graham Watson and comedian Dylan Moran.

[7] Ian Rankin (author of the Inspector Rebus novels), lived in Merchiston before moving to the Quartermile development in 2019.