Sir John Soane s Museum Foundation Tour of Scotland May, 19-26, 2019
Sunday, May 19 Day 1 Arrival in Edinburgh Balmoral Hotel in Edinburgh 3:00 PM Beginning of the visits VISIT TO NEWLISTON HOUSE a XVIII Century House. VISIT TO DALMENY HOUSE The home of the Earls and Countess s of Rosebery since 1662. The house, a Gothic Revival mansion was built by the famous architect William Wilkins in 1817. The contents include 18th century French Furniture, tapestries, and portraits by Gainsborough, Reynolds and Raeburn. Much of the furniture and other contents came from Mentmore in Buckinghamshire. The house also is the home of the largest and most important Napoleonic collection outside of France. Dinner Overnight at the Balmoral Hotel
Monday, May 20 Day 2 VISIT TO LAMBS HOUSE Leith Edinburgh. Nicholas Groves-Raines. Built in 1610 it is one of the finest merchants house still remaining in Scotland. It has been saved and restored by the present owner. NATIONAL GALLERY OF SCOTLAND The building was designed by William Henry Playfair, and first opened to the public in 1859. THE CASTLE This historic fortress and former royal residence has dominated Edinburgh s skyline for centuries. Lunch
Monday, May 20 Day 2 3.15 PM HOPETOUN HOUSE. 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 three centuries and contain the best period furniture, paintings and clocks, and beautifully crafted carving, gilding and plasterwork. Dinner Overnight at the Balmoral Hotel
Tuesday, May 21 Day 3 A DAY IN GLASGOW enjoying the work of two of Glasgow s famous 19th century architects, Alexander Greek Thomson and Charles Rennie Mackintosh. We will be accompanied for the day by Dr Evelyn Silber. We will start at Holmwood a spectacular house now in the care of The National Trust for Scotland, and then move on to 1 Moray Place, the home of Andrew Greg for a private visit. We will then move on to the Double Villa, the home of Evelyn Silber. This is a private visit. All these are Thomson houses. We plan to have lunch at the House for an Art Lover. This house was designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh and submitted to a design competition in Germany, but was only constructed in recent years using his design drawings and other conjectural material based on his other designs. We will have a tour of the house with the resident artist. Time permitting we will then tour part of the city to see the new developments along the river including Zaha Hadid s Riverside Museum, Norman Foster s Clyde Auditorium, and churches by both Thomson and Mackintosh. We will complete the day at the famous Willow Tea Rooms before we return to Edinburgh. Return to Edinburgh and dinner at leisure
Wednesday, May 22 Day 4 VISIT TO BROOMHALL the home of the Earls of Elgin for over 300 years, and Lord Bruce will be our host. 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 1798. The family descend from King Robert the Bruce, and his Sword of State is housed here, together with an internationally important collection of art. This is a private visit. Lunch VISIT TO 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 this house is the home of an importance collection of art, furniture and other contents connected with Scotlands long history. VISIT TO BALCASKIE is the home of Sir Toby and Lady Anstruuther, and 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 through the paintings, exquisite porcelain, and other family treasures including a memory of Queen Anne. Dinner Overnight at the Balmoral Hotel
Thursday, May 23 Day 5 check-out from Balmoral Hotel and depart from Edinburgh PRIVATE VISIT TO GOSFORD HOUSE is the home of the Earl of Wemyss and March and is an imposing neo-classical mansion which was one of the last great architectural commissions of the celebrated Scots architect, Robert Adam. The Marble Hall is an incredible feature of the house. It rises three storeys, with a magnificent double staircase. Lunch PRIVATE VISIT ARNISTON HOUSE the home of Mrs Althea Dundas-Bekker. Built by William Adam in 1726 for the Dundas family. The two-storey, galleried Saloon and Rococo Dining Room and Drawing Room are by the Adam s brothers. PRIVATE VISIT TO MERTOUN near St Boswells is the home of the Duke and Duchess of Sutherland. The charming house by William Bruce date from a round 1650. Two vast Victorian wings were demolished some years ago bringing the house back to it s manageable original size. The art collection is hugely important, and was brought back to Mertoun when the family sold off other estates. The balance of the collection is in the National Gallery for Scotland in Edinburgh. Dinner Arrival in St Boswells Overnight at Dryburgh Abbey Hotel
Friday, May 24 Day 6 PRIVATE VISIT TO 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 steam of treasures from those houses found their way to Bowhill. French marquetry, portraits by Reynolds, Gainsborough and others, silver, Sevres porcelain all found a home here at Bowhill. This is a private visit. Lunch PRIVATE VISIT TO MANDERSTON is one of the most sumptuous and extraordinary houses in the UK. Built around 1900 by Sir James Miller, the great-great-uncle of the present owner Lord Palmer, he created a house of extravagance and great beauty. The staircase is a replica of the Petit Trianon and is plated in silver. There is a silver bathtub in a setting of Italian marble. PRIVATE VISIT TO THE 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 of Home 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 have a splendid collection of Georgian furniture. Dinner at leisure Overnight at Dryburgh Abbey Hotel
Saturday May, 25 Day 7 VISIT TO FLOORS CASTLE the home of the Duke of Roxburgh is magnificently situated above the River Tweed. It was W H Playfair, in 1838 who completed the very grand picture of today s Floors Castle. 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. We have been give access to have guided tour with Matt Thompson before the house opens to the public. Lunch 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 s 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 house, and much remains of the family history through the ages. Embroidery of about 1600, letters signed by Queen Mary, and a rare example of mural decoration from around 1550 remains in a room on the second floor. Dinner MELLERSTAIN is the splendidly situated home of the Earl and Countess of Haddington. 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. The rooms have lovely furniture, porcelain and good collections of family portraits.
Sunday, May 26 Day 8 Depart for Edinburgh Airport (travel time to the airport about one and a half hours)
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