A beautiful history of Kinross House

1. Kinross House – The most beautiful and regular piece
of Architecture in Scotland
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2. This was Daniel Defoe’s description of Kinross
House, the home built by the remarkable politician
“on the make” Sir William Bruce. So grand were his
plans that there were even thoughts it was intended
as a royal residence.

3. Important Facts
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The architect never saw the building fully
completed as he soon fell from favour of the new
Scottish king.
The parts of the interior and grounds that were
completed to the original designs were grand
enough to attract regular admirers of this fine
Scottish estate.

4. Few More Interesting Facts
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Sir William Bruce had
designs on building a
major role for himself
in the brave new world
of late seventeenth
century Scottish court
life. He started his role
in royal circles by
remodelling Holyrood
House and this lead
him to acquiring some
positions of power in
the new Scottish
political world.
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He had helped Charles
II to reach the English
throne in 1660 which
gave him his
baronetcy but proved
trouble for him in the
future. New found
wealth prompted
Bruce to buy large
Kinross Estate and
start to create a
lasting piece of
Scottish architecture.

5. The building was never going to be cheap –
extensive drainage works was required to even
commence building the house. No one really knows
why Bruce fell from favour but his closeness to
Charles’ administration would not have proved
popular when James II came to power in 1685.

6. 
There are also
questions as to
whether his wealth
came from sources
not entirely legitimate
even at a time when
abuse of government
power was the norm.
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Initially however,
James appointed
Bruce as Privy
Councillor so he
probably thought the
money would keep
flowing and he would
be safe to commence
the build of Kinross
House in 1685.

7. 
His success only lasted a year before his fall from
grace became complete with the removal of his
lucrative government posts. The cost of £10,000 to
build the house did not seem to dissuade Bruce
with the politician desperately trying to regain
favour.
●

8. 
Bruce had spent all
his wealth was by the
time of his death in
1710 not least shown
by the pitiful letters
from his wife
concerned that she
could not go to
Edinburgh as she had
nothing to wear.
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He had managed to
complete the ground
floor rooms but the
estate barely
managed to struggle
on without the finance
to support it for
another sixty years
when, in 1777, it was
sold to the Scottish
merchant George
Graham.

9. Beautiful Views Of Kinross House

10. 
It was Basil Montgomery, some two hundred
years later, who finished the house in the style it
deserved. He even bought Bruce’s own portrait
and recrafted the gardens. The Montgomery
family held the house until 2010 when at last the
financial needs of the house were too much of
drain on the family and it was again sold.
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