Dumfries House - frontage Dumfries House is an A-listed Palladian mansion built between 1754 and 1760 for the 5th earl of Dumfries by the architect brothers John, Robert and James Adam. The house came by marriage into the ownership of the 1st Marquess of Bute in 1803; it was put up for sale by John Dumfries, the 6th Marquess, and purchased by a consortium led by HRH The Prince of Wales, Duke of Rothesay. Photo by Gordon Brown
“Just weeks before the auction, however, Dumfries’s plight came to the attention of Prince Charles—a tireless, and rather fearless, advocate of British heritage… Upon hearing more about Dumfries’s dire situation, the prince promptly sent his representatives to Scotland to negotiate the estate’s purchase. The auction was called off, and several truckloads of treasure already en route to London returned home. Thanks to Prince Charles’s leadership—one of his foundations pledged a $40-million loan, allied with $50 million raised from other sources—Dumfries was acquired by a specially created trust and saved, not just for the British people, but for anyone who cares about great architecture and decoration.”
