BUCCLEUCH ESTATES

The Buccleuch estates encompass four separate Scottish estates and one in Northamptonshire, England.

Boughton, “the Montagu property” is a traditional rural estate of about approximately 4,400 ha, set predominantly in a Special Landscape Area. Within the Estate “ring fence” are 5 villages and one hamlet. All of these are wholly or partly designated Conservation Areas. Boughton House has been in the family since 1528 when it was acquired by Sir Edward Montagu, a direct ancestor of the present Duke of Buccleuch. It was greatly enlarged in the first 170 years with a strong French influence giving it the sobriquet “The English Versailles”. The Montagu family merged with the Scotts in 1770 following the death of the brother of Elizabeth Montagu, who was already married to Henry 3rd Duke of Buccleuch.

Bowhill is the centre of an estate that includes non-adjoining areas such as the Eildon Hills, East Buccleuch, Branxholm and Eckford. Bowhill lies approximately one mile above the confluence of the Ettrick and Yarrow Rivers; two of the tributaries of the River Tweed. It stands in beautiful scenery, surrounded by mixed woodland and farmland - the Scott properties. The ancient Ettrick forest which embraced the Bowhill Estate of today was a favourite hunting ground for the Kings of Scotland for hundreds of years. Newark Castle, one mile north of Bowhill, was used as a hunting lodge. The present house dates mainly from 1812, with no visible trace of the original building of 1708. There were many additions to the house during the 19th century and it gradually became the base of the Scott family in preference to Dalkeith. The grounds around the house were extensively landscaped during the 19th century. This included the creation of two lochs. Branxholm Castle, near Hawick, was the Scott family base for some 500 years throughout the turbulent period of Border raids. Until recently it was used by members of the family.

Dalkeith estate lies on the outskirts of Edinburgh and is managed as part of the Bowhill Estate. Dalkeith has been in the Douglas and Scott family for almost 600 years. For some time, Charles I owned the land, which he used as a hunting ground. The land was sold in 1642 to Francis Scott, 2nd Earl of Buccleuch. His daughter Anne married the Duke of Monmouth, eldest natural son of Charles II, and they were created Duke and Duchess of Monmouth and Buccleuch. When Monmouth died, his widow Anne instructed James Smith to use William of Orange’s palace in Holland as a model for the palace at Dalkeith. He built this in 1701 and it was described as the grandest of all early classical houses in Scotland. Dalkeith House has not been lived in by the Buccleuch family since 1914 and is now a European study centre for the University of Wisconsin USA, accommodating approximately 80 students

The Langholm Estate includes land between the Scottish/English Border and Hawick along the Eskdale, Liddesdale and Teviotdale valleys. The Langholm Estate is part of the Scott properties. Langholm Lodge served as the Buccleuch family headquarters for 150 years before demolition as a result of military occupation during World War II.

The Queensberry Estate is situated astride the valley of the River Nith, its focal point being Drumlanrig Castle. Sir James Douglas of Drumlanrig, King Robert Bruce’s right hand man, was the founder of what later grew into the Queensberry Estate as it is today. The present Castle was built of local sandstone between 1679-1691 on the site of an old Douglas stronghold. It is built around an open courtyard with a circular staircase tower in each corner. Drumlanrig is one of the first and most important Renaissance buildings in Scottish domestic architecture.