Duddingston House

Described as one of Edinburgh's most splendid mansions, Duddingston House lies tucked away from the public gaze in the centre of a golf course.

It was built by Sir William Chambers in 1768 for James, eighth Earl of Abercorn who had purchased the estate in 1745 from the Duke of Argyle. The house, said to be the first house of this Palladian style in Scotland, has a two-storey hall and was built with neither basement nor kitchen, the latter being in a separate building, along with chapel and stables, accessed by corridor from the rear of the house, (just visible on the right of the photograph), these now converted to flats. The deer park and garden were laid out by James Robertson in 1768; the golf course dates from the late C19.

During the Second World War the house was in military occupation and subsequently neglected, rescued and restored in 1963 as the Mansion House Hotel. At one time offered to (and refused by) the Duddingston Golf Club for their clubhouse it is now Category A listed and used as head office for a company of architects.

Being a Blipper gave me the brass neck courage to wander around and photograph the front of this building, normally seen from the drive on north side; a return to photograph the stable/chapel block is likely, though at a time when today's big red removal van has departed.