Yester Castle, around 1 mile (1.6 km) south-east of the present house, was built by the Giffords in the later 13th century.

From 1676 Yester was the second Scottish estate (after Lennoxlove) to practice "enclosure" adding eight miles of stone walls to enclose the woodlands.

John Hay, 2nd Marquess of Tweeddale, who inherited the estate in 1697, appointed James Smith and Alexander McGill to begin work on a new house in 1697.

[2] The house was altered in the 1830s, with the entrance moved to the west front, and was modernised at the end of the 19th century by Robert Rowand Anderson for the 11th Marquess.

[5] According to the sales particulars the house has a gross internal area of 3,213 square metres (34,580 sq ft).

[6] In September 2010 the guide price was reduced to £8 million, with the exclusion of 120 hectares (300 acres) of woodlands from the sale.