This Palladian mansion tucked alongside a woodland, features rococo interiors, a Chinese sitting room, and fine artwork in East Lothian, Scotland. On the outskirts of Edinburgh, it was once famous for having one the largest private libraries in Europe. The home was constructed in 1686 by James Smith, a Scottish architect, for his own family but he was forced to sell the home. Its first name was Whitehill, its second Broughton House, and then finally renamed New Hailes by the Dalrymples, who purchased it in 1709. Additions were made in the 18th century by a series of prominent architects including William Adam, who added a double height library around 1733.
By the Regency era, it had been owned by four generations of Dalrymples and was in the possession of Miss Christian Dalrymple, who inherited the house unexpectedly. Her father had spent the mid 1700s extensively remodelling the home, and the last piece he added before his death in 1792 was a stable block.
Miss Dalrymple would never marry, living at Newhailes House for forty-six years. During her ownership, she developed the designed landscape and added a John Hay designed flower garden in 1827. She converted the library to a ballroom, throwing elaborate dances and soirees that bolstered her reputation as a socialite. She was also known to be a good estate manager, and kept a detailed diary of her day. The diary is now part of the Newhailes collection at the National Library.
When she passed, the estate was inherited by her nephew with whom she had a close relationship with.
Read more:
The Design and Building of Newhailes House
Newhailes | National Trust for Scotland
A Study in Contrasts: Exploring Newhailes and Dumfries House in Scotland | The Decorative Arts Trust
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