Dumfries House

Dumfries House is a Palladian country house in Ayrshire, Scotland. It is located within a large estate, around two miles (3 km) west of Cumnock. Noted for being one of the few such houses with much of its original 18th-century furniture still present, including specially commissioned Thomas Chippendale pieces.

Both the house and the gardens are listed as significant aspects of Scottish heritage.
The estate and an earlier house were originally called Lefnoreis Castle, owned by a branch of the Craufurds of Loudoun. The present house was built in the 1750s for William Dalrymple, 5th Earl of Dumfries, by John and Robert Adam. Having been inherited by the 2nd Marquess of Bute in 1814, it remained in his family until 2007 when the 7th Marquess sold it.

Dumfries House remained a family home from 1760-1993, when the last full-time occupant, Lady Eileen, Dowager Marchioness of Bute, passed away. The house remained in the hands of the 7th Marquess of Bute who ensured that it was maintained, although not used as a primary residence.

The house was subsequently offered for sale and two auctions dates were set aside in July 2007. However, a consortium led by HRH The Prince of Wales succeeded in purchasing the house and contents and, in doing so, saved Dumfries House and one of the most important collections of Georgian Scottish and English furniture for the nation.

Under the auspices of The Great Steward of Scotland's Dumfries House Trust, and since 2018 The Prince's Foundation, improvements have been made to the grounds and gardens, historic outbuildings have been brought back to use and the estate is a focus for a range of training opportunities for young people and traditional skills and crafts. The transformation of Dumfries House has brought many employment opportunities to the local area, which was greatly affected by the demise of the coal mining industry, and stands as a prime example of heritage-led regeneration.
(From the internet)

We have had an excellent day, spending it at Dumfries House, near Cumnock in Ayrshire.  It was busy with coachloads of visitors, and also two school trips that we noticed.

We had a lovely lunch, and then spent most of our time in the Walled Garden, which is absolutely stunning just now, probably about its peak for the summer.  The herbaceous borders are just amazing, and there is a whole section of phlox which is so colourful it just blows you away.  The roses are tremendous, and they were busy deadheading them while we were there, and lots more to come. 

 The vegetable garden was yielding lots of veggies, some unknown to us, with notices warning us not to pick, as the produce is used at the cafe, restaurant, and for teaching.  As if we would have !!!!

It was nice and warm but not too sunny at times, and perfect for wandering around.  Lots of pathways and easy to get around.

We went back to the visitor centre for an ice cream.  I am getting quite addicted!

I added some extras of our visit.