Hopetoun House
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-> Lothians
-> West Lothian
-> South Queensferry
-> Hopetoun House
Immediately beyond the western edge of South Queensferry, Hopetoun House (April-Sept daily 10am-5.30pm; £5.30, grounds only £2.90) is one of Scotland's grandest stately homes. The original house was built at the turn of the eighteenth century for the first Earl of Hopetoun by Sir William Bruce, the architect of Holyroodhouse. A couple of decades later, William Adam carried out an enormous extension, engulfing the house in a curvaceous main facade and two projecting wings - superb examples of Roman Baroque pomp and swagger. The scale and lavishness of the Adam interiors, most of the decoration of which was carried out by his sons after the architect's death, make for a stark contrast with the intimacy of those designed by Bruce. Particularly impressive are the Red and Yellow Drawing Rooms, with their splendid ceilings by the young Robert Adam. The grounds of the house are also open, with magnificent walks along the banks of the Forth and great opportunities for picnics.
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