Kimmerghame House facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kimmerghame House
2011
General information
Architectural style	Baronial
Location	Scottish Borders
Current tenants	Swintons of Kimmerghame
Design and construction
Architect	David Bryce
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Listed Building – Category B
Official name: Kimmerghame House with terrace and boundary walls, boar statues, garden seat, sundial, gates and gatepiers
Designated	9 October 1981
Reference no.	LB2133
Official name: Kimmerghame House, stables
Reference no.	LB44503
Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes in Scotland
Designated	30 June 2011
Reference no.	GDL00239

Kimmerghame House is a large, old mansion in the Scottish Borders. It was built in the 1800s. You can find it about 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) southeast of Duns. The house sits right next to the Blackadder Water river.

This impressive house is the home of the Swinton family of Kimmerghame. They are part of a Scottish Lowland clan called Swinton. A famous architect named David Bryce designed the house in 1851. It's built in a special style called Scottish Baronial. Kimmerghame House is considered an important historic building. Its beautiful grounds are also listed as a special garden and landscape.

The History of Kimmerghame House

Early Owners and New Beginnings

Kimmerghame has a long history with many different families owning it. The Moreham family owned it first. Then, it passed to the Polwarth family. Later, in the 1300s, it went to the Sinclair family. By the 1400s, the Home family took over the estate.

There was an older house on this land before the current one. Sir Andrew Home lived in this earlier house in the 1730s. We know what his house looked like from old records.

The Swinton Family and Rebuilding

Captain Archibald Swinton bought the old Kimmerghame house and land in 1770. He later sold it in 1803. But his son, John Swinton, bought Kimmerghame back in 1850. He bought it from his aunt, Mary Campbell.

The old house was taken down in the early 1850s. A new one was built in its place. An architect named William Burn had drawn plans for a new house in 1825. However, nothing was built at that time. The house you see today was finished in 1851. It was designed by David Bryce. Some of the wood panels inside came from the older house.

A Fire and Famous Residents

Kimmerghame House was partly damaged by a fire in 1938. After the fire, only some parts of the house were rebuilt. For many years, the laird (owner) of Kimmerghame was Sir John Swinton. He was a Major-General in the army. He was also the father of the famous actress Tilda Swinton. Sir John passed away in 2018.

Images for kids

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  Kimmerghame House before the fire of 1938

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  Kimmerghame on Fire

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  Kimmerghame Post Fire

See also

• Kimmerghame House is also the name of a boys' boarding house at Fettes College, Edinburgh.
• List of places in the Scottish Borders