Abbotsford House | The House

The House

For over 177 years, the public galleries at Abbotsford have been welcoming visitors from across the world. Such was the fame and popularity of Scott, that many foreign leaders made Abbotsford one of their first ports of call on state visits to the United Kingdom.

Various European monarchs, Indian statesmen, US Presidents and Japanese Emperors all paid homage to the house that Scott built. Queen Victoria stayed at Abbotsford on her first trip to Scotland and was so inspired by it that she modelled Balmoral on the Scottish Baronial Architecture that she saw.

When Scott came to Abbotsford in 1812 the property consisted of a small cottage and farm steading. In 1817-19 Scott erected a new building in the space linking the cottage and steading and this first part of Abbotsford was built by Messrs Sanderson & Paterson of Galashiels. It consisted of a conservatory (subsequently changed by his successors), a dining room, Scott’s first study, and an armoury with bedrooms above and kitchen below.

The building extending from the entrance porch to the right was the second portion to be built in 1822-25 by John & Thomas Smith of Darnick. The architect for both portions was William Atkinson of London.