Accessing Scotland's Past Project
Event ID 560589
Category Descriptive Accounts
Type Accessing Scotland's Past Project
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/560589
Mertoun House was built in 1703 to designs by the architect Sir William Bruce. A foundation stone, uncovered in 1913, commemorated its founding by the then owners, Sir William Scott of Harden and Dame Jean Nisbet, his wife.
Bruce's mansion is a simple but elegant three-storeyed and symmetrically-planned building of contemporary Scots Baroque style.
In 1843, a south wing was added, using a design by William Burn, but it was not until 1913, after the Scotts of Harden had sold the estate to Lord Brackley, that a corresponding-and-balancing-north wing was added.
In the 1950s, the later additions were removed and the house restored to its original layout under the supervision of the architect Ian G Lindsay.
The famous writer Sir Walter Scott was a relative of the Scotts of Harden, and he was a frequent visitor to Mertoun House. He refers to it in the poem 'Marmion' and wrote the 'Eve of St. John' here in 1799.
Text prepared by RCAHMS as part of the Accessing Scotland's Past project
