Sir John Soane s Museum Foundation Tour of Scotland May, 19-26, 2019
Sunday, May 19 Day 1 Arrival in Edinburgh Airport Independent transfers to Dryburgh Abbey Hotel 3.00 pm Beginning of the tour We will travel to Marchmont House the home of Burge family. The house was probably built by William Adam, but it is considered that James Gibbs was very involved with the designs. In the last six years the house has undergone a total restoration and the interiors, particularly the stunning George II plasterwork, look magnificent. Dinner at the hotel
Monday, May 20 Day 2 Visit to Traquair House, claims to be the oldest inhabited house in Scotland. The home of Scottish Kings going back to David 1 in 1133. The Stuart family have been here since around 1500 and it is Mr and Mrs Muller Stuart who live here and care for the house today. Traquair is a unique example of a castle into a house, and much remains for the family history though the ages. Embroidery of about 1600. letters signed by Queen Mary, and a rare example of mural decoration from about 1550 remains in a room on the second floor. The owner will host the visit. Bowhill is one of the four wonderful homes of the Duke and Duchess of Buccleuch and Queensberry. Set in stunning country Bowhill was finally enlarged into the great house it is today by William Burn in 1832. When Dalkeith Palace, and Montagu House in London, were shut up, a stream of treasures from those houses found their way to Bowhill. French marquetry, portraits by Reynolds, Gainsborough and others, silver, Serves porcelain all found a home here at Bowhill. Private visit and lunch Mertoun is the home of the Duke and Duchess of Sutherland who will host our visit. This lovely house by William Bruce dates from around 1650. Two vast Victorian wings were demolished some years ago, bringing the house back to its original manageable size. The art collection is hugely important and was brought back to Mertoun when the family sold off the other estates. Some of the collection is on loan to the National Gallery of Scotland in Edinburgh. We will have a private visit. Dinner at leisure Overnight Dryburgh Abbey Hotel
Tuesday, May 21 Day 3 9.30 am Floors Castle the home of the Duke and Duchess of Roxburghe is magnificently situated above the River Tweed. It was W H Playfair in 1838, who completed the very grand Floors Castle of today. The late Duchess, Mary, was an American, and she became a connoisseur of the arts, and made collections of 18th C French furniture, tapestries, and Chelsea, Dresden and Chinese porcelain. Our guide will be Matt Thompson the House Manager. We will be starting our tour in advance of the public opening. Noon. Mellerstain. Private visit and lunch in the Yellow Dining Room, part of the residence of The Earl of Haddington, and the Dowager Countess of Haddington. Another house in a stunning situation with wonderful views. The family came here in 1642. In 1770 Robert Adam was commissioned to finish the house. He worked on much of the interior, but without a doubt the Library is the finest Adam room in Scotland. All the rooms have lovely furniture of the period, porcelain and a fine collection of pictures including many family portraits. From Mellerstain we will travel the short distance to The Hirsel, the home of the Earl and Countess of Home. Hirsel is one of the loveliest private estates in Scotland, Again the history of this country is bound up with the Douglas-Home family who have been here since 1138. The present Earl and Countess live here with their family. The early part of the house is the original tower house. The house was added to in around 1633, and the remainder of the building was completed in the Regency period. The rooms contain a splendid collection of family portraits and Georgian furniture. We will have a private visit, the house is not open to the public. Dinner at the hotel Overnight Dryburgh Abbey Hotel
Wednesday, May 22 Day 4 Travel to Edinburgh via: 9.30 am Arniston House the home of Mrs Althea Dundas-Bekker and her daughter Henrietta who will welcome us for our visit. Arniston was built by William Adam in 1726 for the Dundas family. The two-storey galleried Saloon and the Rococo Dining Room and Drawing Room are all by the Adam s brothers. The Marble Hall is an incredible feature of the house. It rises three floors, a with a magnificent double staircase. There will be a further house visit today before our arrival in Edinburgh Dinner at the hotel Overnight Balmoral Hotel Edinburgh Private visit Noon. Gosford House for a private visit and lunch in the Octagon Dining Room. The home of the Earl of Wemyss and March, Gosford is an imposing Neoclassical mansion which was one of the last great architectural commissions of the celebrated Scottish architect Robert Adam.
Thursday, May 23 Day 5 Broomhall has been the home of the Earls of Elgin for over 300 years. Lord Bruce, the heir, now lives at Broomhall and will host our visit. The house was started in 1702 to the designs of Sir William Bruce. John Adam worked on the house in 1766, and it was enlarged by Thomas Harrison in 1796. The family descend from King Robert The Bruce and his Sword of State is housed here, together with an internationally important collection of art. Noon. Balcarres has been the home of the Lindsay family since 1586 and the building of the original tower house in the 16th century. The family, now the Earls of Crawford and Balcarres, built the huge main part of the house in 1864. Once again the house is the home of a very important collection of art, furniture and other items connected with Scotland s long history. We will also be invited to see the Library (never usually opened) which houses a collection of books and items of great historical importance. Lord and Lady Balniel will be hosting the visit and lunch. Balcaskie is the home of Sir Toby and Lady Anstruther and their family. The family have been here since the 12th century. The house was rebuilt by Sir William Bruce about 1670, and Balcaskie is probably his earliest house. Yet again, a lot of Scottish history is bound up in this house and its family, and the rooms contain memento's of family life though the paintings, exquisite porcelain and other family treasures including one from Queen Anne. Dinner at leisure Overnight Balmoral Hotel Edinburgh
Friday, May 24 Day 6 Today we will travel to Glasgow to explore the work of two of the cities most famous architects, Charles Rennie Mackintosh and Alexander Greek Thomson. We will be joined today by Dr Evelyn Silber who is an expert on the two architects, and actually lives in a Thomson house, which we will visit. We will start at Holmwood (Thomson) the property of the National Trust for Scotland, and then move on the Double Villa, the home of Dr Evelyn Silber, and then to 1 Moray Place, the home of Andrew Greg. Lunch at the Willow Tea Rooms (Charles Rennie Mackintosh). After our visit to Glasgow we will Travel to Scone Palace near Perth Scone Palace, the home of the Earl and Countess of Mansfield, is one of the most iconic places in Scotland. The present house was built around 1803 and contains one of the finest private collections in the country. The unrivalled collections of furniture, paintings, porcelain, clocks and other family heirlooms adorn the splendid rooms. The beautiful grounds contain the famous maze. After our tour of the Palace we will have a private dinner hosted by Lord and Lady Mansfield. Overnight Balmoral Hotel Edinburgh
Saturday May, 25 Day 7 9.45 am Hopetoun House is the home of The Marquess of Linlithgow. The house, one of the finest in Scotland, was designed by William Bruce and altered and extended by William Adam. The interiors have remained virtually unchanged for 300 years and contain the best period furniture, paintings, clocks, and beautifully crafted carving, gilding and plasterwork. We will have an early start to be ahead of the public. Visit to Dalmeny House or to another house. We will then return into Edinburgh city centre where there will be some time for the group to see something of the main part of the city, and perhaps visit an attraction such as The Castle or the National Gallery, or time at leisure. Dinner at the hotel Overnight Balmoral Hotel Edinburgh
Sunday, May 26 Day 8 Departure from the UK
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