Dumfries House
Dumfries House - a Georgian Gem. Nestling within 2,000 acres of scenic Ayrshire countryside in south-west Scotland, this beautiful Palladian mansion house has been described as an 18th century time-capsule with many of its principal rooms extremely wellpreserved and some of their exquisite contents virtually unchanged for nearly 250 years. Commissioned by William Crichton Dalrymple, the 5th Earl of Dumfries, the House was designed by renowned 18th century architect brothers John, Robert and James Adam and built between 1754 and 1759. Recognised as one of the Adam brothers’ masterpieces it remained unseen by the public since it was built 250 years ago until it opened its doors as a visitor attraction in June 2008. The former home of the Marquises of Bute, it was saved for the nation at the eleventh hour by a consortium of organisations and individuals brought together by HRH The Prince Charles, Duke of Rothesay. The house holds the most important collection of works from Thomas Chippendale’s ‘Director’ period. It is widely recognised that Scotland was a testing ground for Thomas Chippendale’s early rococco furniture and the Dumfries House collection is regarded as his key project in this area. Dumfries House also holds the most comprehensive range of pieces by Edinburgh furniture makers Alexander Peter, William Mathie and Francis Brodie. Indeed, the Scottish furniture together with the Chippendale collection is of outstanding worldwide historical significance…
