Dalkeith Palace

Dalkeith Palace is situated just five miles from Edinburgh’s city centre at the stunning Dalkeith Country Park.   The Palace architecture and surrounding area are wonderful and, although it is not possible to see the interior, they are worth a visit alone. Furthermore, the Park is currently undergoing an exciting redevelopment project which started in summer 2016. You can read more about this on Dalkeith Country Park’s website.

You can read more about this on Dalkeith Country Park’s website.

History

Dalkeith Palace was built in 1702 on the site of an earlier Castle and until the 1920s was the principal seat of the Montagu Douglas Scott family in Scotland. The Palace was the creation of Anna Scott, the 1st Duke of Monmouth and Buccleuch’s widow, who employed James Smith, Scotland’s leading architect in classical style at the time. Modelled on William of Orange’s palace in the Netherlands, Het Loo, no expense was spared as huge quantities of marble were important and engravings were done by Grinling Gibbons.
After Anna passed away, Dalkeith was further developed with a bridge by Robert Adam and a fine Stableblock. Fortunately, the dramatic neo-Jacobean makeover planned by William Burn in the 1820s never got beyond the stage of an elaborate model.

Collection

The majority of the collection once housed at Dalkeith Palace is now on display at Bowhill House.