The Hirsel, Category A listed country house in Coldstream, Scotland
The Hirsel is a large country house estate in the Scottish Borders with formal gardens, woodland trails, and a man-made lake alongside the Leet Water river. The buildings and grounds display the typical layout of a Scottish landed property spanning several centuries of development.
The estate became the main seat of the Earls of Home in the mid-17th century after an earlier castle was destroyed. Later, Alec Douglas-Home, who served as British Prime Minister, lived here.
The estate's craft centre and museum show how Scottish people worked with traditional crafts and lived in the countryside. Visitors see exhibitions about rural skills and daily life that shaped the local community.
The estate has a tea room, craft workshops, and a car park for visitors. Marked walking paths through the gardens and parkland are accessible for people of various abilities.
The grounds keep a herd of Highland Cattle with a special pedigree that has been bred here for generations. Two trees in the 18th-century walled garden hold national heritage status for their botanical significance.
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