Short Break at Hopetoun House
On a windy, but beautiful September day, a friend and I visited Hopetoun, arguably Scotland’s largest house. Built to palatial proportions, it looks north across the Firth of Forth towards the Highlands. I had long wanted to visit this remarkable ‘pile’, still in the ownership of the family who began building at the end of the 17th century. By choosing one of the last days of the season we had a leisurely tour through the house, with charming and well-informed guides.
Due to wind conditions we had to miss the visit to the roof from which, we were told, one appreciates fully Hopetoun’s unrivalled setting. Perhaps the 92 steps might have deterred us anyway!
Hopetoun is the work of the two best-known architects in Scotland designing in the classical style. In both cases the work there probably crowned their career. William Bruce, who built himself Kinross House, worked at Hopetoun from 1699 to 1703. Bruce had spent time in France and his surviving west front shows obvious French influence. |
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He also contributed ideas to the parterre garden, the bones of which can be seen beneath the grass at certain times of the year. Bruce’s interior has intricately carved woodwork on the staircase by Alexander Eizat, who also worked for him at Holyrood. In the Library is a handsome fireplace of Glen Tilt marble (of considerable commercial value for a while).
Less than twenty years later, the Hope family fortunes had improved with the creation of an Earldom. They employed the aging William Adam to draw up plans for enlarging the house. With his masterful design, he created a harmony between the existing property and the addition designed on a grand scale. The work, begun in 1721, was continued by his eldest son John, while Robert designed interiors. The impressive east front is flanked by colonnades leading to large pavilions topped by cupolas. One of these is now a ballroom, the walls hung with Aubusson tapestries; the other once provided stabling for eleven of the family’s horses. Today it has been transformed into a tempting restaurant.
In the main Entrance Hall portraits of two well-known family members face each other. John, who was created Marquess of Linlithgow, was first Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia, which celebrated its centenary in 2001. His son, Victor, was Viceroy of India from 1936 to 1943. To the right are two rooms, which are wonderfully complete examples of Adam decoration. In 1822 the 4th Earl of Hopetoun welcomed George IV to his home at the end of the first visit to Scotland by a reigning monarch since Charles II in 1652. At the house George was greeted by Guards of Honour, and local residents standing on the roof. His surprisingly modest lunch consisted of three glasses of wine and turtle soup. Later he knighted artist, Henry Raeburn and the Keeper of the Scottish Regalia in the Yellow Drawing Room.
If you have time before returning home, have a brief look at Queensferry, which has cobbled streets and some charming, old buildings. The town is, of course, dominated by The Bridge and the Road Bridge, as the locals call them. Some years ago we stopped and ate icecreams with our grandchildren in Queensferry, all of us marvelling at the immensity of the two structures spanning the Forth. Among those who much admired the Bridge at the opening ceremony in 1890 was Monsieur Eiffel from Paris.
The Road Bridge, opened in 1964, is now causing concern because of corrosion in the main cables. Resolving the problem will be a challenge for today’s engineers.
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