📌 Cumnock, East Ayrshire
★★★★
Back in 2007 the future of Dumfries House looked bleak. The owner, the 7th Marquess of Bute, couldn’t afford its cost of upkeep and the Palladian mansion was duly placed on the open market. Its furniture collection – one of the world’s finest – was due to be sold separately, decimating the house’s core. At the eleventh hour, a saviour arrived in the form of the snappily-named The Great Steward of Scotland’s Dumfries House Trust headed by Prince Charles. The house, its breathtakingly opulent interiors and 2,000 acres of estate were duly saved and opened to the public, and the result is one of Scotland’s most amazing man-made tourist attractions. Development of the estate over recent years has resulted in the grounds now being as much of a draw the house itself – though Chippendale furniture worth an estimated £20 million a piece may take some beating…
🌍 Location
📌 Off the A70 1.5 mi west of Cumnock
🧭 O.S. Grid Reference: NS 541204
🛰️ GPS coordinates: 55.455641,-4.308032
❌ No public transport within 1 mi. Trains / buses serve Auchinleck (1.5 mi)
🚗 Car park
📝 Key info
⌚ House open by guided tour only, Sunday to Friday, April to October; weekends, November to March except Christmas & New Year period – see official website for exceptions. Grounds: daily
🎫 House: £14.50+ adult depending on tour type / £7.25 child / discount for Historic Environment Scotland members. Grounds: free
