Dumfries House facts for kids

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Quick facts for kids Dumfries House
Dumfries House and the Mahfouz Fountain, 2016

Listed Building – Category A
Designated	14 April 1971
Reference no.	LB14413


Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes in Scotland
Designated	1987
Reference no.	GDL00149

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Dumfries House is a beautiful old country house in Ayrshire, Scotland. It's built in a style called Palladian, which means it looks grand and balanced, like ancient Roman buildings. The house is part of a big estate, about 2 miles (3.2 km) west of Cumnock.

What makes Dumfries House special is that it still has most of its original furniture from the 1700s. This includes amazing pieces made by a famous furniture maker named Thomas Chippendale. Today, the house and its land are owned by The King's Foundation. This charity keeps it open for visitors, and it's also a popular place for events like weddings. Both the house and its gardens are important parts of Scotland's history.

The land and an older house here were once called Lefnoreis Castle. The current Dumfries House was built in the 1750s for William Dalrymple, who was the 5th Earl of Dumfries. It was designed by famous architects John and Robert Adam. Later, in 1814, the house was inherited by the 2nd Marquess of Bute. It stayed in his family until 2007, when the 7th Marquess decided to sell it.

In 2007, there was a risk that the amazing furniture collection would be sold off piece by piece. To prevent this, a group led by the Prince of Wales (who is now King Charles III) bought the estate and everything in it. They even got a £20 million loan from the Prince's charity. The idea was to fix up the estate so it could support itself. This would help save the house and also create jobs in the local area. Money for the project also came from building a new community nearby called Knockroon.

Dumfries House opened its doors for public tours in 2008. Since then, many other parts of the estate have been opened for different uses. These places offer education and jobs, and they help pay for the charity's work. King Charles was at Dumfries House on September 8, 2022, when his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, became unwell. He traveled to Balmoral Castle, and later that day, she passed away, and he became king.

About Dumfries House
A Look Back in Time
Education and Learning
Images for kids
See also

About Dumfries House

Dumfries House is considered a "category A listed building." This means it's a very important historical building in Scotland. Historic Environment Scotland describes it as "an exceptionally fine and unspoilt Adam mansion." The gardens around the house are also very special. They are listed in the Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes in Scotland, which is a national list of important gardens and parks.

A Look Back in Time

The front of Dumfries House

The Lochnorris Estate

Long ago, this area was known as Lefnoreis or Lochnorris. It belonged to a part of the Craufurd family from Loudoun. The original castle stood on a high piece of land near where the coach house is now.

The Earl of Dumfries's Home

In 1635, William Crichton, 2nd Earl of Dumfries bought the estate from the Craufords. The estate and the title of Earl of Dumfries later went to his grandson, William Dalrymple-Crichton. He was the one who asked the famous Adam brothers to design a new house for the estate.

Dumfries House was built between 1754 and 1759. The main architects were John and Robert Adam. Robert Adam helped with the building until he left to travel around Europe. The house is designed in the Palladian style, with a tall central part and smaller buildings on each side connected by wings. A master builder named James Armour, whose daughter married the famous poet Robert Burns, also worked on the house.

The Marquess of Bute's Family

A view from the front garden

In 1814, John Crichton-Stuart, 2nd Marquess of Bute inherited Dumfries House. The house stayed in the Crichton-Stuart family until 2007. In 1885, the 3rd Marquess of Bute had Robert Weir Schultz design the smaller buildings next to the main house. The Crichton-Stuart family mostly lived at Mount Stuart House on the Isle of Bute. Later, in the 1900s, Lady Eileen, a member of the Bute family, lived in the house until she passed away in 1993. The house then went to her grandson, the 7th Marquess, who was also a racing driver known as John Bute.

Almost Sold Off

Another view of the front of the house

John Bute had to pay taxes after his father and grandmother passed away, so he thought about selling the house. He first offered it to the National Trust for Scotland in 1994, but they said no. He kept the house and later replaced its roof.

In 2004, he offered it to the National Trust again, but by 2007, a deal couldn't be made. In April 2007, it was announced that the house would be sold, and its contents would be auctioned separately. Experts thought some of the art and furniture might be worth almost as much as the house itself. For example, a Chippendale bookcase was valued at millions of pounds.

When the sale was announced, people who wanted to protect old buildings were very sad. They worried that the amazing collection, which had been almost untouched since 1803, would be split up. They started a campaign to buy the house and keep it safe. Even though they raised a lot of money, it wasn't enough. It looked like the house and its contents would be sold at auction.

Saved by a Charity

A hallway on the second floor

The entire estate was finally bought after Charles, Prince of Wales (now King Charles III) heard about the campaign. He learned about it from a writer named James Knox, who spoke passionately at one of the Prince's meetings. On June 27, 2007, it was announced that a group led by the Prince, including charities and the Scottish Government (who gave £5 million), had raised £45 million. This money bought the house, its contents, and the large 2,000-acre (8.1 km2) estate. It also created a trust to take care of it.

The trust was named "The Great Steward of Scotland's Dumfries House Trust." This name refers to a title that Charles held as the Scottish heir apparent. A big part of the money came from a £20 million loan from The Prince's Charities Foundation. It was reported that the house's contents had already been moved and were on their way to London when the sale was agreed upon.

The trust planned for the estate to become a business that could support itself, helping the local economy. This would happen through donations and sponsorships for fixing up the estate. Money would also come from building a new "eco-village" community called Knockroon on the grounds.

In 2008, a big economic downturn affected the project, making it harder to build Knockroon and pay back the £20 million loan. The Prince faced some criticism, but in 2010, it was explained that the risk was "manageable." After changing to a plan of getting money from private people and companies, the £20 million loan was paid back by 2012. An extra £15 million was also raised for renovations and keeping the estate running.

After being restored, Dumfries House opened to the public for tours on June 6, 2008. In 2009, a supermarket chain called Morrisons started helping to fix up the farm on the estate. The goal was for it to become a place to learn about sustainable farming and also to make money by 2014. The old coach house and stables were renovated in 2010 and reopened in 2011 as a cafe and restaurant. The first part of the Knockroon village opened in May 2011.

In October 2011, work began on clearing the old Walled Garden, which had become overgrown. In April 2012, the Dumfries House Lodge opened. This is a guest house with six bedrooms, created by fixing up an old farm building. It provides a place for people to stay for weddings and other events. The estate's old sawmill, which used water power, has also been fixed and now works again. It's now part of the Sawmill Building Skills Centre, where people can learn traditional building skills.

King Charles, when he was Prince of Wales (and known as the Duke of Rothesay in Scotland), continued to support Dumfries House. In September 2012, he attended an event at Ayr Racecourse with Queen Camilla (then the Duchess of Rothesay) and Alex Salmond (then the First Minister of Scotland) to raise money for the Trust.

In 2017, the Prince of Wales celebrated 10 years of Dumfries House. He said that the estate now had over 150 employees and thousands of people using it. He hoped that a magazine about the house would help more people learn about all the good things happening there.

In September 2017, the Duke and Duchess of Rothesay welcomed the President of Ireland, Michael Daniel Higgins, and the First Lady to Dumfries House. They also attended a concert celebrating 25 years of Classic FM.

In May 2018, "The Great Steward of Scotland's Dumfries House Trust" changed its name to "The Prince's Foundation".

In October 2022, King Charles appeared in a special episode of the BBC TV show The Repair Shop, which was filmed at Dumfries House. He shared objects from the collection that needed to be restored. In January 2023, it was announced that Dumfries House would be open to the public as a "warm space" to help people who might feel lonely or isolated in cold weather.

In September 2023, King Charles held a special meeting called a Privy Council Meeting at the house for the first time.

Education and Learning

Dumfries House has several special education centers. School students can visit these centers to learn about many different subjects. These include science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), as well as farming and gardening. The programs are linked to the Scottish school curriculum. They give students from nearby areas like Ayrshire, Dumfries and Galloway, Glasgow, and Lanarkshire a chance to learn about future jobs and new skills.

These centers are open all year round for both primary and secondary schools.

In 2022, a new farming and rural skills training center was funded at Dumfries House. Here, The Prince's Foundation will host events and hands-on workshops for about 1,800 people each year.