Hopetoun Houseis a country house nearSouth Queensferryowned by the Hopetoun House Preservation Trust, a charity established in 1974 to preserve the house and grounds as a national monument, to protect and improve their amenities, and to preserve the furniture, paintings, manuscripts, and other articles of historical interest associated with the house.[1]The south wing of the house is occupied by the family ofAdrian Hope, 4th Marquess of Linlithgow.The house is a Category Alisted building[2]and the grounds are included in theInventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes in Scotland.[3]

Hopetoun House
East facade of Hopetoun House and gardens
Coordinates55°59′43″N3°27′46″W/ 55.9954°N 3.4629°W/55.9954; -3.4629
Built1699–1752
Built forCharles Hope, 1st Earl of Hopetoun
ArchitectSir William Bruce,William Adam,Robert Adam,John Adam
OwnerThe 4th Marquess of Linlithgow
Listed Building– Category A
Designated22 February 1971
Reference no.LB613
Designated1 July 1987
Reference no.GDL00212
Hopetoun House is located in West Lothian
Hopetoun House
Location in West Lothian
Aerial view

History

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Architecture

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The house was built 1699–1701 and designed bySir William Brucewith Bruce's master masonTobias Bauchopin charge of the construction and working drawings (aided by his apprenticeAlexander Edward).[4]The house was then hugely extended from 1721 byWilliam Adamuntil his death in 1748, being one of his most notable projects. The interior was completed by his sonsJohn AdamandRobert Adam.The magnificent entrance hall dates from 1752.

The Hope family acquired the land in the 17th century and operatedlead mines.[5]Charles Hope,the first occupant, was only 16 years old when his mother, Lady Margaret Hope, signed the contract for building with William Bruce, on 28 September 1698.[6]The master mason was Tobias Bachope ofAlloa.The plumber and glazier was John Forster of Berwick.

The house was the site of the departure ofKing George IVon 29 August 1822 after his Scottish visit and the knighthood ofCaptain Adam FergusonandHenry Raeburn.[7]

Garden park

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TheEnglish garden stylelandscape park in which it lies were laid out in 1725, also by William Adam. The east front centres on the distant isle ofInchgarvieandNorth Berwick Law.The walled garden dates from the late 18th century. In the grounds an 18th-century mound was excavated in 1963 to reveal the remains of the earlier manor house,Abercorn Castle,dating from the 15th century.[3]

Preservation

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In 1974,Charles William Frederick Hope, 3rd Marquess of Linlithgowcreated The Hopetoun House Preservation Trust to ensure Hopetoun House and the estate were preserved for future generations.[8]

Access

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During the summer months, parts of the house and gardens are open to visitors. Classical musical recitals are occasionally put on at Hopetoun House. Chilean pianistAlfredo Perlonce performed recitals ofChopinat the house. The site can also be let for weddings, conferences, and filming.

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First seen as the Duke of Sandringham's home, Hopetoun House has been used in seasons 1, 2 and 3 ofOutlander,to recreate scenes in Scotland, England and Paris.[9]

In 2020, some scenes for theITVdrama seriesBelgraviawere filmed at the castle.[10]

In the 2020 filmThe Princess Switch: Switched Again,Hopetoun House was used for the exterior of the fictional Montenaro Royal Palace.[11]

Hopetoun House and Gardens

References

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  1. ^"The Trust".Hopetoun.
  2. ^Historic Environment Scotland."Hopetoun House (LB613)".Retrieved20 June2020.
  3. ^abHistoric Environment Scotland."Hopetoun House (GDL00212)".Retrieved20 June2020.
  4. ^Alloa Advertiser (newspaper) 25 August 2021
  5. ^"Leadhills & Wanlockhead Mines".
  6. ^Buildings of Scotland: Lothian,by Colin McWilliam
  7. ^Lockhart, John G. (14 February 1837)."Memoirs of the Life of Sir Walter Scott: In Three Volumes".Baudry's European Library – via Google Books.
  8. ^"Charles William Hope, 3rd Marquis of Linlithgow".The Gazetteer of Scotland.Retrieved4 September2017.
  9. ^"Hopetoun House".Outlander Locations.Retrieved10 November2021.
  10. ^"Where is ITV's Belgravia filmed?".Radio Times.12 April 2020.Retrieved28 February2021.Here's where you'll find the lavish London homes and ancestral country houses in Julian Fellowes' new period drama Belgravia
  11. ^The Princess Switch: Switched Again Filming Locations,18 November 2021

Further reading

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  • Countess of Hopetoun, Polly Feversham andLeo Schmidt(editors),Hopetoun, Scotland's Finest Stately Home(Hirmer Verlag GmbH, Munich, 2020)ISBN978-3777434391.
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