House of Dun facts for kids
Quick facts for kids House of Dun |
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The south front (top) and north front of the House of Dun, as illustrated in William Adam's Vitruvius Scoticus.
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| General information | |
| Location | Angus, Scotland |
| Coordinates | 56°43′45″N 2°32′25″W / 56.7293°N 2.5404°W |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | William Adam |
The House of Dun is a beautiful historic home in Angus, Scotland. It is owned by the National Trust for Scotland. The house is located near the Montrose Basin, which is a special nature area. It sits about halfway between the towns of Montrose and Brechin.
The Dun Estate was the home of the Erskine family for a very long time, from 1375 until 1980. The current House of Dun was designed by a famous architect named William Adam. It was finished in 1743. The house has amazing plaster-work inside, especially in a room called the saloon. This grand house replaced an older, smaller tower house from the 1300s.
The 13th owner, David Erskine, Lord Dun, wanted a more comfortable and impressive home. He was a lawyer in Edinburgh and became a judge in 1710. The house stayed with the Erskine family for another 250 years. Some changes were made inside when Lady Augusta Fitzclarence moved in. She was a daughter of King William IV. Augusta married John Kennedy Erskine, who was next in line to own the house. She made many updates to the house to make it more modern.
The famous writer and poet Violet Jacob (1863 - 1946) was born in the House of Dun. She wrote books like "Flemington" and "Tales of Angus." The last owner of Dun was Mrs. Millicent Lovett. In 1948, she moved out of the house. She stored all the furniture and old items in the attic. The rest of the house was rented out for many years. Millicent never moved back into the house. When she passed away in 1980, she left the house to the National Trust for Scotland.
The Trust found all the original furnishings in the attic! They spent nine years carefully putting the house back to how it looked when Augusta lived there. In 1989, the House of Dun opened to the public. The Queen Mother attended the opening to celebrate William Adam's 300th birthday.
The nearby Montrose Basin nature reserve is also a property of the National Trust for Scotland. It is part of the South Esk river's mouth.
Ancient History at Dun
The area around the House of Dun has signs of people living there as far back as 9,000 years ago. Besides things found at the house itself, there is a large standing stone a few miles north. It is called the Stone of Morphie. These finds help us learn about ancient times in Scotland.
People Connected to House of Dun
Many interesting people have been linked to the House of Dun:
- John Erskine of Dun (1509 – 1591): He was an owner of Dun and an important leader in the Scottish religious changes of his time.
- David Erskine, Lord Dun (1670 – 1758): The 13th owner of Dun. He was a Scottish lawyer and judge. He asked William Adam to build the current House of Dun.
- Margaret Erskine of Dun (1772 – 1848): An important member of the Erskine family.
- Lady Augusta Gordon (1803 – 1865): She was a daughter of King William IV. She married into the Kennedy-Erskine family and helped modernize the house.
- Wilhelmina FitzClarence, Countess of Munster (1830 – 1906): She was a novelist and a member of the Kennedy-Erskine family.
- Violet Jacob (1863 – 1946): A Scottish writer and poet. She was born in the House of Dun and is known for her historical novel "Flemington."
See also
- Clan Erskine
- Dun, Angus
