Hopetoun House
Trademark
UnclaimedA major Scottish stately home and heritage visitor attraction near South Queensferry in West Lothian.
Last updated August 26, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile yet.
Overview
Hopetoun House is a historic country house near South Queensferry in West Lothian, Scotland. It is one of Scotland's most significant surviving examples of aristocratic domestic architecture and is recognized as a Category A listed building. The surrounding landscape is also included in Scotland's Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes. Today, the house functions as a heritage attraction, events venue, film location, and managed historic estate rather than as a conventional commercial consumer brand. The present house was commissioned by the Hope family at the end of the seventeenth century. The family had acquired land in the area during the seventeenth century and had connections with local lead-mining activity. Lady Margaret Hope signed the building contract with architect Sir William Bruce on 28 September 1698 on behalf of her son Charles Hope, who was still a teenager. Construction began in 1699, with Tobias Bauchop serving as master mason and working with Bruce on the building's execution. The initial house was completed around 1701. Hopetoun was subsequently transformed into a much larger and more elaborate residence. Beginning in 1721, William Adam substantially extended the building and developed its principal architectural character. The project continued after Adam's death in 1748, with interior work completed by his sons John Adam and Robert Adam. The grand entrance hall dates from 1752 and forms one of the defining interior spaces. The house contains an important collection of historic furnishings, manuscripts, and works of art, including portraits associated with Thomas Gainsborough and George Dance the Younger, as well as paintings attributed to or associated with artists such as Rubens, Rembrandt, Van Dyck, Backhuysen, and Canaletto. The house stands within a designed landscape laid out in the English garden style during the 1720s, with William Adam also involved in the development of the grounds. Views from the east front extend toward Inchgarvie and North Berwick Law. The estate includes a late-eighteenth-century walled garden and the remains of an earlier medieval manor house, Abercorn Castle. An eighteenth-century mound in the grounds was excavated in 1963, revealing archaeological evidence connected with the earlier settlement. Hopetoun also has associations with national history. On 29 August 1822, King George IV departed from the house after his visit to Scotland. The occasion was also linked with the knighting of Captain Adam Ferguson and the artist Henry Raeburn. The south wing remains occupied by members of the Hope family, including the family of Adrian Hope, 4th Marquess of Linlithgow, while other parts of the house and grounds are managed for public access and events. A major institutional turning point came in 1974, when Charles William Frederick Hope, 3rd Marquess of Linlithgow, established the Hopetoun House Preservation Trust. The charitable trust was created to safeguard the house, grounds, furnishings, paintings, manuscripts, and other historically associated objects for future generations. This preservation structure underpins the site's current public role. Hopetoun House generally welcomes visitors during a seasonal period running from Easter into late September, while also hosting weddings, private functions, and other exclusive events. The property has gained additional contemporary visibility through screen production. It appeared in several seasons of the television series Outlander, representing locations in Scotland, England, and Paris, and was used for scenes in the ITV drama Belgravia in 2020. Its exterior also represented the fictional Montenaro Royal Palace in the 2020 film The Princess Switch: Switched Again. These uses have strengthened Hopetoun's profile as a recognizable heritage and filming location while remaining secondary to its conservation and visitor-attraction purposes.
History
Hopetoun House developed from the ambitions of the Hope family, which acquired land in the area during the seventeenth century and was involved in local lead-mining interests. The family commissioned a new residence at the end of that century. On 28 September 1698, Lady Margaret Hope signed the construction contract with Sir William Bruce on behalf of her son Charles Hope, who was only sixteen at the time. Bruce designed the original house, while Tobias Bauchop acted as master mason and prepared or supervised the practical construction work. Work began in 1699 and the initial building was completed around 1701. The first house was later enlarged on a substantial scale. From 1721, architect William Adam extended the building and reshaped it as a major aristocratic residence. Adam's work continued until his death in 1748. His sons John Adam and Robert Adam subsequently completed important interior elements, including the magnificent entrance hall, dated to 1752. The resulting house combines the formal planning of the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries with the Adam family's influential interior design. Its collections include historic portraits, decorative furnishings, manuscripts, and paintings connected with major European and British artists, including Gainsborough, George Dance the Younger, Rubens, Rembrandt, Van Dyck, Backhuysen, and Canaletto. The architectural project was accompanied by the creation of an extensive designed landscape. William Adam laid out the park in an English garden style during the 1720s. The east front was planned to take advantage of long views toward Inchgarvie and North Berwick Law. A walled garden dating from the late eighteenth century remains part of the estate. Archaeological investigation has also added depth to the site's history: excavation of an eighteenth-century mound in 1963 exposed remains associated with Abercorn Castle, an earlier manor house dating from the fifteenth century. Hopetoun's historical associations extend beyond architecture and landscape. King George IV departed from the house on 29 August 1822 after his Scottish visit. The same occasion was associated with the knighting of Captain Adam Ferguson and Henry Raeburn. The property continued as a family seat, and the south wing remains occupied by the Hope family, including the family of Adrian Hope, 4th Marquess of Linlithgow. Modern preservation arrangements were formalized in 1974, when Charles William Frederick Hope, 3rd Marquess of Linlithgow, founded the Hopetoun House Preservation Trust. The charity's purpose is to protect the house and grounds, improve their amenities, and conserve furnishings, paintings, manuscripts, and other objects connected with the property. This trust-based model allows Hopetoun to balance private residential use with public heritage access. The house is open seasonally, generally from Easter to late September, and the estate also supports weddings, private events, celebrations, and filming. In the twenty-first century, screen productions have become an important part of Hopetoun's public profile. Its interiors and exterior settings were used in the first three seasons of Outlander, where the property stood in for several locations. The house also appeared in Belgravia in 2020 and represented the fictional Montenaro royal residence in The Princess Switch: Switched Again. These appearances complement, rather than replace, its core identity as a conserved Scottish country house and visitor destination.
- 2020
Used in Belgravia and The Princess Switch: Switched Again
[1]Hopetoun House appeared in the ITV drama Belgravia and served as the exterior of the fictional Montenaro Royal Palace in a Netflix film.
- 1974
Preservation trust founded
[1]The Hopetoun House Preservation Trust was created to protect the house, grounds, collections, and associated historic material.
- 1963
Archaeological excavation
[1]Excavation of an estate mound uncovered remains of the earlier Abercorn Castle manor house.
- 1822
Royal departure from Hopetoun
[1]King George IV departed from Hopetoun House after his Scottish visit.
- 1752
Entrance hall completed
[1]The grand entrance hall, one of the house's defining interiors, dates from this period.
- 1725
Designed landscape developed
[1]The surrounding park was laid out in the English garden style, with William Adam involved in its design.
- 1721
Major Adam extensions begin
[1]William Adam began the major enlargement and transformation of the residence.
- 1701
Original house completed
[1]The initial house designed by Bruce was completed.
- 1699
Construction begins
[1]Building of the original Hopetoun House began under the direction of Sir William Bruce and master mason Tobias Bauchop.
- 1698
Construction contract signed
[1]Lady Margaret Hope signed the contract with Sir William Bruce for the new house on behalf of Charles Hope.
Products and positioning
A conservation-led Scottish stately-home destination combining architectural heritage, historic collections, designed landscape, seasonal tourism, private events, and screen-location appeal.
Heritage attraction
House and Grounds Visitor Experience
The principal public offering is seasonal access to Hopetoun House and its grounds. Visitors encounter the historic architecture, decorated interiors, art and furnishings, formal and informal landscapes, views across the estate, and the walled garden. The experience is centered on conservation and interpretation rather than on a conventional retail product.
Events and hospitality
Weddings and Private Events
Hopetoun House provides a setting for weddings, private celebrations, and exclusive functions. The offering uses the property's historic interiors, landscaped grounds, architectural character, and event-support facilities to create premium heritage-based occasions. Specific packages, pricing, and availability are not stated in the supplied sources.
Screen-location services
Film and Television Location Hire
The house and estate are available as distinctive period and luxury settings for screen productions. Their use in Outlander, Belgravia, and The Princess Switch: Switched Again demonstrates the range of settings available, from aristocratic interiors to palace-like exteriors and landscaped grounds.
Brand decisions
1974
Establishment of a charitable preservation trustStrategyBackground
The long-term conservation of the house, estate, furnishings, artworks, manuscripts, and other associated historical material required a dedicated preservation structure.
Action taken
The 3rd Marquess of Linlithgow established the Hopetoun House Preservation Trust as a charity charged with preserving the property and improving its public amenities.
Aftermath
Hopetoun House continues to combine family occupation, seasonal public access, events, and heritage conservation under the trust-based model.
Sources2 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/hopetoun-house · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled