Mellerstain House, Country house in Scottish Borders, Scotland
Mellerstain House is a country house in the Scottish Borders, made up of two outer wings and a central block that together form a symmetrical stone facade. The exterior is built in red sandstone with classical cornices and carefully detailed window surrounds.
William Adam began building the two outer wings in 1725, and his son Robert Adam added the central block between 1770 and 1778. The house has remained in the same family line ever since and has seen few major structural changes.
The library is often considered one of the finest rooms Robert Adam ever designed, with painted ceilings and detailed shelving that still hold books today. Visitors can walk through and see the room much as it looked when the family lived there.
The house is generally open to visitors from Easter through September, while the grounds may be accessible at other times. It is worth checking in advance whether guided tours run on the day you plan to visit, as they are not available every day.
Although Mellerstain is one of the best-preserved Adam houses in Scotland, many of its interiors were never remodeled, meaning Robert Adam's original color schemes and decorative details can still be seen as he intended them. This makes it one of the few places where his work survives in near-original condition.
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