LIVING HISTORY
SETON
CASTLE
HAS BEEN LOVINGLY RESTORED TO CREATE A FINE
FAMILY HOME. WHILE THE CASTLE NOW BOASTS THE VERY BEST MODERN COMFORTS, ITS RICH
AND VIBRANT HISTORY IS STILL VERY MUCH ALIVE.
Most houses have some history, even if only of the personal,
"This is where Kirsty took her first steps" variety. It's what elevates a house
from a collection of bricks and mortar to an entity with a meaningful
personality. But Seton Castle is in a different league
altogether. For one thing, the bricks and mortar were put together under the
watchful eye of none other than Robert Adam, one of Britain's finest ever architects, who is most
famous for his contributions to Edinburgh's New Town.
David and Mary McMillan bought the house three years ago and
embarked on the restoration project with no intention of selling the house. But
a succession of enquiries gradually brought them round to the idea of letting
someone else enjoy the fruits of their labour.
That work, which was only fully completed in January 2006, has
transformed the house from a grand building into a wonderful family home. The
fundamentals of the building are unchanged, as Mary explains: "We haven't
changed the structure of the house. We've just let it breathe: put some light
and some life back into it."
Mary and David's work has been both sensitive in design and
uncompromising in quality. "We've kept the colours that Robert Adam would have
had at that period. Whittock & Reed advised us on colours and fabrics. For
example, we've used a lot of silk damasks on the walls in the dining room: it's
worked very well."
The commitment to historical veracity has not precluded the use
of modern technology when appropriate. A case in point is the security system.
Twelve moving cameras are positioned around the property; they are linked to
screens all over the house, so that from almost any room
it is possible to see what's going on anywhere from the bottom
of the field to the top of the drive.
Similarly, the kitchen has been fitted with two Aga cookers and
all the other usual mod cons. And, of course, heating is one area in which 21st
century standards are essential. The McMillans have not skimped on even the
smallest details. The parterre garden in the forecourt includes no less than
3,000 white tulips; it was designed by David Domoney, one of Britain's most
celebrated gardeners and a former winner at the Chelsea Flower Show.
The end result is a home which strikes the perfect balance
between grandeur and accessibility. Guests seeing the house for the first time
are struck by the building's magnificent, towering presence. But once inside,
Mary says: "Everyone who comes into the house tells us there's a really warm
family atmosphere."
"WE HAVEN'T CHANGED THE STRUCTURE OF THE HOUSE. WE'VE JUST LET IT
BREATHE: PUT SOME LIGHT AND SOME LIFE BACK INTO IT."
"THE CASTLE'S AMAZING PAST READS LIKE A GREATEST HITS OF SCOTTISH
HISTORY."
Seton Castle enjoys an enviable location outside in the
gentle hills of East Lothian, with an inspiring
view of the Firth of Forth. (You won't be the first to admire it: James III once
stood on the roof to watch his Queen return from Denmark.) But
it's just a fifteen-minute drive to the centre of Edinburgh, and an hour to either Edinburgh airport or Glasgow city centre.
Undoubtedly the Castle's greatest appeal is its amazing past,
which reads like a Greatest Hits of Scottish History. It is first recorded as
Seton
Palace and, time and again,
the Palace pops up in key events of Scottish history. To take just one example,
Mary Queen of Scots spent her last night of freedom there with her lover, the
Earl of Bothwell. The next day, the Battle of Carberry Hill resulted in
Bothwell's flight to Dunbar and Mary's 20-year captivity.
For many years, Seton Palace was the family home of the Earls of
Winton. 1715 saw a dramatic reversal of fortune for the Wintons, however, when
their support of the Jacobites in their unsuccessful rebellion led to the
family's estates being confiscated. By 1790, the site was a ruin owned by Lt Col
Alexander Mackenzie of the 21st Dragoons, and it was he who commissioned Robert
Adam to design the castle we see today.
Local legend holds that Mackenzie paid a high price for his
development after he evicted a local woman from the land nearby. She placed a
curse on him, vowing that he would "never live to see the reek from the lum."
Sure enough, Mackenzie died in 1796, seeing neither the smoke from the chimney
nor his thirtieth birthday.
Mary insists, however, that this is one Scottish castle which
does not claim to be haunted. Maybe not, but nevertheless the new owners will
share their home with some of the greatest figures in Scotland's rich
and varied history.
"JAMES III ONCE STOOD ON THE ROOF TO WATCH HIS QUEEN RETURN FROM
DENMARK."
|
