Discover Hopetoun House
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Port
South Queensferry (Edinburgh), Scotland, United Kingdom
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Activity Level
Moderate
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Excursion Type
All
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Wheelchair Accessible
No
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Starting At
$109
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Minimum Age
Information Not Currently Available
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Duration
Approximately 2½ Hours
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Meals Included
Meals not included
Set out from the sweet fishermen's village of South Queensferry on the outskirts of Edinburgh. Various viewpoints afford tremendous vistas up and down the Firth of Forth toward the hugely impressive Forth Road and Victorian Rail Bridges, with the Kingdom of Fife across the water.
Your destination is the magnificent Hopetoun House. It is Scotland's self-proclaimed Finest Stately Home — a claim difficult to refute, as it is one of the most splendid examples of the work of Scottish architects Sir William Bruce and William Adam.
Hopetoun is situated on a conspicuously elevated position overlooking the Firth. Its interior is a trove of opulent gilding and classical motifs that reflect the aristocratic grandeur of the early 18th century. Among its visually spectacular exhibits is a beautiful collection of Meissen porcelain.
Hugely knowledgeable docents impart wonderful stories about the origins of the artifacts and of the Hope family, whose ancestral home you are visiting. Today, it is occupied by Adrian Hope, the 4th Marquess of Linlithgow.
The house is set in 100 acres of rolling parkland, including fine woodland walks, the Red Deer Park and the Spring Garden with its profusion of wildflowers.