Scottish Houses and Castles - History, architecture, artworks and gardens

Arrive in Aberdeen independently (see ‘Practicalities’ for further details). The tour begins with a talk followed by dinner at the Marcliffe Hotel on the outskirts of Aberdeen. First of three nights here. 

The first excursion unashamedly includes two of the most picturesque and evocative sites in Scotland. Surrounded on three sides by the North Sea, the cliff-top ruins of Dunnottar Castle (chapel 1276, keep 1392) were witness to several key episodes in Scottish history. Craigievar Castle, begun around 1576 and virtually untouched since 1626, is among the best preserved and loveliest of the Scottish tower houses which are crowned with ‘baronial’ turrets and bartisans.

Home of Prime Minister Lord Aberdeen, Haddo is a Palladian composition of the 1720s with a pedimented principal block, quadrants and service wings – our first encounter with architect William Adam. The house was enriched in the 1880s and filled with fascinating items. Duff House is a monumental structure, again by William Adam but more Baroque than Palladian, with interiors much as they were in the 18th century. The paintings are glorious: this is an outstation of the National Galleries of Scotland. 

Another William Adam design, modest in size but large in ambition, the House of Dun has exceptional plasterwork inside. The rural setting is captivating, the gardens and woodland walks delightful. Home of the Earls of Strathmore since 1372, Glamis Castle is known from Shakespeare’s Macbeth and as the Queen Mother’s childhood home. A soaring, formidable castle principally of the 16th and 17th centuries, further ‘baronialised’ in the 19th, it contains many treasures. First of two nights in Perth. 

Built by the Duke of Albany, king in all but name 1388–1420, Doune Castle was luxurious as well as militarily formidable. Stirling Castle was one of the most important sites in Scottish history, a highly defensible royal palace and garrison dramatically situated on a volcanic outcrop. The 1503 Great Hall and the extraordinary Renaissance palace of James V are of the highest architectural interest. The latter was built and decorated 1538–42 and recently thoroughly and colourfully restored. 

Site of medieval royal enthronements, the palace and abbey at Scone was largely destroyed during the Reformation. The present 1803 Gothic Revival house was rebuilt by William Atkinson, and is filled with treasures. A magnificent pile sitting in majestic grounds overlooking the Firth of Forth, Hopetoun was built 1699–1701 to designs by William Bruce, extended by William Adam and completed by his sons John and Robert. Artworks and furnishings are superb. First of four nights near Kelso. 

Free morning at Schloss Roxburghe where hotel facilities include swimming pool, spa, golf course and 300 acres. Manderston was one of the last grand country house in Britain. In 1903–5 , new money and an unlimited budget replaced an 18th-century mansion with another in an 18th-century style. Extraordinary craftsmanship was lavished on decoration including silver stairway railings. 

Abbotsford was the home of Sir Walter Scott. Beginning in 1817, with architect William Atkinson he co-created an early and influential Picturesque building characterised by asymmetry and medievalisms. Lovely gardens and prospects of the Tweed. Free time for lunch in the charming town of Melrose. Mellerstain is one of Robert Adam’s supreme country-house creations, the finest exemplar of his castle style and a showcase for some of his most splendid rooms. Good gardens and pictures. 

Home to the Duke of Roxburghe, Floors Castle is the largest inhabited house in Scotland. The 1720s core (William Adam) was enlarged a century later (William Playfair) and provided with a battalion of tourelles and ogival caps. Grand rooms, superb works of art, wonderful gardens. Traquair is probably Scotland’s oldest continuously inhabited home and has scarcely changed for three centuries. Bewitchingly beautiful façade, eccentric and evocative rooms and collections, informal gardens and woodland walks – a magical place. 

One of the finest Palladian houses in Britain, Paxton was begun in 1758 by John and James Adam and the interiors were provided by cabinetmakers Thomas Chippendale, father and son. Regency additions include the Library and grand Picture Gallery, and the original art collection has been augmented by paintings from Scotland’s national collection. The tour finishes by 2.00pm at Berwick-on-Tweed railway station, from where there are regular services to Edinburgh and London.