Bowhill House is a historic house near Bowhill at Selkirk in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland. It is a member of the Historic Houses Association, and is one of the homes of the Duke of Buccleuch. The house is protected as a Category A listed building, [1] and the grounds are listed on the Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes in Scotland. [2]
A house was first built at Bowhill in 1708 by John Murray, Lord Bowhill, a Scottish law lord. His brother William Murray had bought the land earlier in 1690. In 1747, Francis Scott, 2nd Duke of Buccleuch, bought Bowhill for his son Lord Charles Scott who wanted to stand for Parliament in Roxburgh or Selkirk.
In 1767, Henry, the third Duke, started to plant forests in the grounds, and in 1800, the 4th Duke Charles started to revamp what was an occasional summer house and turned it into a villa with gallery hall. The Buccleagh art collection was created as Charles and Elizabeth brought together the three family heritages of Montagu, Douglas and Scott. [3]
Walter, 5th Duke, made many changes and, in 1831, moved the entrance from south to north. The building was finally completed in 1876 when it was 437 feet (133 m) long.
Bowhill House is one of the homes of the huge private art collection. In the dining room are works by Canaletto, Gainsborough, and Reynolds. The collection has been gathered over 600 years and it includes 1,000 miniatures and 500 paintings as well as objets d'art. The Buccleuch collection of miniatures is said to be second only to the Royal Collection. [3] The whole collection is exhibited at three locations: Bowhill, Drumlanrig Castle and Boughton House. [4]
The gardens and the house are open to the public. The facilities include walks and an adventure playground.
Duke of Buccleuch, formerly also spelt Duke of Buccleugh, is a title in the Peerage of Scotland created twice on 20 April 1663, first for James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth, and second suo jure for his wife Anne Scott, 4th Countess of Buccleuch. Monmouth, the eldest illegitimate son of King Charles II, was attainted after rebelling against his uncle King James II and VII, but his wife's title was unaffected and passed on to their descendants, who have successively borne the surnames Scott, Montagu-Scott, Montagu Douglas Scott and Scott again. In 1810, the 3rd Duke of Buccleuch inherited the Dukedom of Queensberry, also in the Peerage of Scotland, thus separating that title from the Marquessate of Queensberry.
Selkirk is a town and historic royal burgh in the Scottish Borders council district of southeastern Scotland. It lies on the Ettrick Water, a tributary of the River Tweed.
Selkirkshire or the County of Selkirk is a historic county and registration county of Scotland. It borders Peeblesshire to the west, Midlothian to the north, Roxburghshire to the east, and Dumfriesshire to the south. It derives its name from its county town, the royal burgh of Selkirk. The county was historically also known as Ettrick Forest.
Neidpath Castle is an L-plan rubble-built tower house, overlooking the River Tweed about 1 mile (1.6 km) west of Peebles in the Borders of Scotland. The castle is both a wedding venue and filming location and can be viewed by appointment.
Sir Joseph Edgar Boehm, 1st Baronet, was an Austrian-born British medallist and sculptor, best known for the "Jubilee head" of Queen Victoria on coinage, and the statue of the Duke of Wellington at Hyde Park Corner. During his career Boehm maintained a large studio in London and produced a significant volume of public works and private commissions. A speciality of Boehm's was the portrait bust; there are many examples of these in the National Portrait Gallery. He was often commissioned by the Royal Family and members of the aristocracy to make sculptures for their parks and gardens. His works were many, and he exhibited 123 of them at the Royal Academy from 1862 to his death in 1890.
Walter Francis Montagu Douglas Scott, 5th Duke of Buccleuch, 7th Duke of Queensberry,, styled Lord Eskdail between 1808 and 1812 and Earl of Dalkeith between 1812 and 1819, was a prominent Scottish nobleman, landowner and politician. He was Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal from 1842 to 1846 and Lord President of the Council.
Walter Francis John Montagu Douglas Scott, 9th Duke of Buccleuch and 11th Duke of Queensberry, was a Scottish peer, politician and landowner. He served in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve in the Second World War, and represented Edinburgh North in the House of Commons for 13 years.
Clan Scott is a Scottish clan and is recognised as such by the Lord Lyon King of Arms. Historically the clan was based in the Scottish Borders.
Boughton House is a country house in the parish of Weekley in Northamptonshire, England, situated about 3 miles (4.8 km) north-east of Kettering. It is situated within an estate of 11,000 acres (4,451.5 ha).
Richard Walter John Montagu Douglas Scott, 10th Duke of Buccleuch and 12th Duke of Queensberry,, styled as Lord Eskdaill until 1973 and as Earl of Dalkeith from 1973 until 2007, is a Scottish landholder and peer. He is the Duke of Buccleuch and Queensberry, as well as Chief of Clan Scott. He is a descendant of James, Duke of Monmouth, the eldest illegitimate son of Charles II and his mistress, Lucy Walter, and more remotely in a direct male line from Alan of Dol, who arrived in Britain in 1066 with William the Conqueror.
Corehouse is a country house and estate, located 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) to the south of Lanark, Scotland. The estate is by the Corra Linn Falls on the River Clyde, and close to the World Heritage Site of New Lanark. The house was designed by Sir Edward Blore for George Cranstoun, Lord Corehouse, and was completed in 1827.
Newark Tower is a large, ruined tower house standing in the grounds of Bowhill House, in the valley of the Yarrow Water three miles west of Selkirk in the Scottish Borders. In addition to the keep, sections of a gatehouse and wall survive. It has been designated a scheduled monument by Historic Environment Scotland.
Kirkhope Tower is a Scottish Pele, located in the Ettrick Valley, in the historic county of Selkirkshire, now a division of the Scottish Borders. The tower lies a mile to the north west of Ettrickbridge, and seven miles (11 km) from the Burgh of Selkirk.
John Charles Montagu Douglas Scott, 7th Duke of Buccleuch and 9th Duke of Queensberry,, styled The Honourable John Montagu Douglas Scott until 1884, Lord John Montagu Douglas Scott between 1884 and 1886 and Earl of Dalkeith until 1914 was a British Member of Parliament and peer. He was the father of Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester, and the maternal grandfather of Prince William of Gloucester, and Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester.
Stobo Castle is located at Stobo in the Scottish Borders, in the former county of Peeblesshire. The Manor of Stobo was originally owned by the Balfour family. It became the family seat of the Graham-Montgomery Baronets from 1767. The building of the present castle began in 1805 and was completed in 1811 under the supervision of architects Archibald and James Elliot. It is currently operated as a health spa. The house is protected as a category A listed building, while the grounds are included in the Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes in Scotland, the national listing of significant parks and gardens.
The Haining is a country house and estate in Selkirk in the Scottish Borders. The present house dates from the 1790s, and was a property of the Pringle family. In 2009, the house and grounds were bequeathed to The Haining Charitable Trust which manages the estate for the benefit of the people of Selkirkshire and the wider public. The Haining Charitable Trust is now working on developing the building as a centre for exhibitions and events, highlighting art, culture and history. The House is currently being refurbished and will be let out for various events and functions. The Old Coach House and Stable outbuildings have been refurbished and now offer six brand new artists studios. Holiday apartments, The Ettrick, and The Yarrow, and the two-beroomed, Dairy Cottage, are also now available within the grounds available for booking via Visit Scotland. The "Old Ginger" statue is located in the kennel yard.
Eildon Hall, near St Boswells, Roxburghshire, is one of the houses belonging to the Dukes of Buccleuch and Queensbury. It is located at the foot of Eildon Hill, just south of the town of Melrose in the Scottish Borders. Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester is very descriptive of Eildon Hall, her childhood home, in her memoirs. She describes it as a "Georgian house with Victorian additions, made from the local coral pink sandstone," and "standing 600 feet above sea level." She also describes the view from the house as a "wonderful view of the valley below stretching away to the Cheviots thirty miles distant."
Elizabeth Marion Frances Montagu Douglas Scott, Duchess of Buccleuch and Queensberry, styled Countess of Dalkeith between 1981 and 2007, was a Scottish peeress and philanthropist.
The Malleny House and Garden is an historic house and garden owned by the National Trust for Scotland in Balerno, 6 mi (9.7 km) southwest of Edinburgh. The gardens are notable for its large yew trees, as well as one of the largest rose collections in Scotland. According to Historic Environment Scotland, Malleny is noted for its outstanding architectural and horticultural value including its national collection of heritage shrub roses. The house, gardens and adjoining estate buildings are Category A listed.
