The first Saturday of December found me heading into southern Scotland for a visit to Dumfries House, 47 miles north west of Dumfries. Following a major freight train derailment in October, the line was closed between Haltwhistle and Carlisle and a pretty sparse bus replacement service between these two towns was in place. That has all finished now, making a journey from the north east possible with a single change at Carlisle.
My train was on time but I was booked on a 1330 tour so arranged with a local taxi firm to pick me up at the station at Auchinleck, a couple of miles from the House. I would have preferred to walk but was unsure of the route through the northern side of the estate so paid £9 for a taxi accessing the estate from the south, and going the long way round.
Entrance to the estate is free 365 days a year, and there is only a charge if you wish to enter the House itself, for which a fee of £10 is payable unless you have HHA, Historic Scotland or The Art Pass membership. Then it’s a reduced fee, or free for the basic one hour tour. I rebooked on to the 1400 tour to see the interiors, with interesting art, furniture and excellent storytelling from our guide. Dumfries House is a Palladian country house originally designed by the Adam brothers and completed on time and on budget in 1759.
The property was in private hands, owned by the Marquesses of Bute, until 2007 when it was saved for the nation from being sold and the contents split up by a consortium headed by King Charles III (then the Prince of Wales), or, in Scotland, the Duke of Rothesay. A total of £45m was raised to buy the property, partly funded by a loan from the Prince’s Trust of £20m. The Scottish Government also contributed £5m and many private supporters. It was accused of being a vanity project of the Prince at the time, but now employs over 150 people in a former coal mining area of high unemployment, as is a major visitor attraction of this part of Scotland. There is a collection of Chippendale furniture which is the finest in the UK, and a unique Chippendale bookcase was valued at up to £4m itself, which makes the total cost of the property, including the contents, something of a bargain.
There is much to delight the eye in other parts of the estate, including the Walled Garden dedicated to Queen Elizabeth II. There is a choice of dining options, and woodland walks link the attractions within the Estate. On my walk back to the village of Auchinleck though the northern part of the estate (having been advised it was totally open for pedestrians, just not for traffic) I saw some of the other buildings erected on the estate, although a bit more signage to find the railway station from Barony Road would have been welcome. It’s a great day out, but if you want to stay over, the Lodge has 22 inviting bedrooms to take full advantage of the Estate’s many offerings.
