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How was your visit?
If you’ve visited The Park, you’ll be familiar with the sight of Dalkeith Palace close to the entrance of Town Gate and overlooking The Bowl. But, did you know that in 1831 designs were put into place to transform The Palace into an even grander structure than we see today?
Commissioned by Anna 1st Duchess of Buccleuch
Dalkeith Palace, as we know it today, was commissioned by Anna 1st Duchess of Buccleuch in 1702. Completed almost a decade later in 1711, The Palace stood then as it stands now. Whilst home to the Buccleuch family until WW1 and later host to Wisconsin University from the early 1980’s until 2021. The Palace could have had a much larger presence within The Park, had plans by the great George Meikle Kemp (architect of the Scott Monument on Princes Street) progressed further than just a model in the mid 19th century.
Visit the exhibition
Running from 01 April – 03 September, ‘The Palace That Never Was’ is the latest exhibition at the Biggar & Upper Clydesdale Museum. Featuring the magnificent architectural model of Dalkeith Palace, built by Biggar born Kemp (1795-1844), the restored model showcases the grand additions the 5th Duke of Buccleuch had envisioned for Dalkeith Palace.
Although never achieved, the model survives to this day following 3000 hours of research and restoration by Patrick Baxter begun in 1993 following a request by the now 10th Duke of Buccleuch.
