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Buccleuch Stories
Dalkeith Palace and Country Park were the main home of the Buccleuch family until 1914, and they remain closely connected to our wider family of historic houses and gardens across Scotland and England – Drumlanrig Castle in Dumfries & Galloway, Bowhill House in the Scottish Borders, and Boughton House in Northamptonshire. After the First World War, much of the Buccleuch Collection that once filled Dalkeith Palace was carefully relocated to these sister properties, where it continues to be cared for and enjoyed today.
More Than a Floor
Recently restored with great care, this rare and beautiful flooring has been brought back to life after centuries of wear. But it’s more than just a floor – it’s a glimpse into the world of Duchess Anna, a remarkable woman with grand ambitions and impeccable taste. Let’s step back in time to discover the story behind The Palace she transformed.
From Castle to Palace
In the early 18th century Anna Scott, first Duchess of Buccleuch (1651-1732) created a grand Baroque palace at Dalkeith. Through her marriage to the Duke of Monmouth (1649–1685), she became part of the Royal family and spent over three decades living a courtly life, mostly in England, with occasional travels to continental Europe.
Returning to Scotland in 1699, she set out to transform her childhood castle into a grand palace – both a reflection of the Royal residences she had known and a showcase for the sophisticated ideas and materials she encountered during her time away from Scotland.
Amidst her palatial interiors the real glory was reserved for Duchess Anna’s private apartment in the East Wing of Dalkeith Palace. It features a suite of rooms suited to everyday life, much smaller in scale and easier to heat but highly ambitious in their lavish decoration and culminating in a number of spectacular closets.
Duchess Anna's Retreat
The Picture Closet is a wonderful example of a small, private space created for quiet reflection, intimate conversation and the enjoyment of art – like a personal gallery. Unlike most rooms in the Palace, which were laid out in a grand, connected sequence – known as ‘enfilade’– this room had just one door, making it the most secluded spot in the Palace. Duchess Anna’s own private sanctuary.
Inside The Picture Closet
The Picture Closet’s focal point was a richly carved marble chimney piece featuring a ‘flowered’ mirror with Anna’s carved monogram at the top. An intricately carved and gilded cornice provides a beautiful finish to the wall above which is the coved ceiling.
The walls hung with green damask, one painting over the door and 68 paintings, smaller ‘cabinet’ pictures and a collection of miniature portrait paintings a number of which survive in the Buccleuch Collection today – and of course, the parquetry floor gave a luxurious finish to the room.
A Floor Full of Meaning
In the Picture Closet, Duchess Anna chose a sunburst surrounded by stars occupying the centre of the floor. Flanked on the north and south by a pair of saltires, the other two sides are embedded in parquet de Versailles a kind of ‘weave’ pattern popularised in the late 17th century at Versailles, Louis XIVs palace in France.
The wood used is oak – said to be Spanish oak – the natural figure of which has been exploited to emphasise subtle changes in direction, dark and light and to create a tonal richness and animated surface quality.
Preserving the Palace Story
During recent conservation, gaps caused by many years of contraction and expansion have been sympathetically filled with appropriate pieces of oakwood. A Victorian varnish has been carefully removed, the floor oiled and waxed twice. After a period of rest more wax will be applied.
While many aspects of the early interiors of Dalkeith Palace now only live in our imagination many key features survive albeit at times in slightly degraded form. The restoration of the parquetry floor in the Picture Closet is therefore an important step towards re-establishing a connection with the original conception of the palace under the direction of its female patron.
