From castle to classical: Duchess Anne Scott’s design, plan and transformation of Dalkeith Palace, 1698-1732

Abstract

The perception of Dalkeith Palace for centuries tended to focus upon the martial history of the current building’s predecessor, Dalkeith Castle. This fact has obscured the context and architectural transformation of the site in the early eighteenth century. This thesis interprets Dalkeith Palace in terms of its functional and aesthetic appeal and treats the modification of the building c. 1700-1740 and its wider landscape in terms of contemporary material culture. The archives of the Dukes of Buccleuch and Queensberry formed the basis to this research. The thesis examines the courtly culture and architectural trends of the time in order to contextualise the study of Dalkeith Palace. Anne Scott (1651 – 1732), 1st Duchess of Buccleuch, resided for two decades at the court of Charles II with her husband James, Duke of Monmouth. During her residency at the Restoration court, she designed and furnished royal lodgings for her Moor Park and Monmouth House residences. The Duchess also travelled to Holland (1679) and France (1680-1682) where she toured royal palaces and purchased architectural and garden plans.

Duchess Anne turned her attention to her Scottish estates in 1698 with the aim of transforming Dalkeith Castle into a palatial residence with a Dutch classical facade and baroque interior plan. Architect James Smith designed the palace with Duchess Anne in 1701. William Adam later completed some interiors and the estate landscape. The thesis reveals Duchess Anne’s motivations, the ways that she manipulated the built spaces at Dalkeith Palace and the explores perceptions and experiences that her alterations provoked. Attention is paid to the built form and interior designs. The roles of the nobility and gentry as landowners was significant in eighteenth-century Britain. At Dalkeith, the formation of a new palace reflected the owner, Duchess Anne’s vision for the legitimacy of the Scott family and the courtly connections she had. The thesis argues that Dalkeith Palace reflected her vision of the family’s social status and of the courtly trappings consistent with noble families of the age.