Broughton House

Dumfries and Galloway holiday 11

I had to wait until my last morning in Kirkcudbright to see the jewel that is Broughton House. In the care of the National Trust for Scotland, it's closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays but was worth the wait. A fine 18th century town house on the High Street, it was the home of the impressionist artist Edward Atkinson Hornel (1864-1933), from 1901 until his death. He shared it with his sister, Tizzy, and he had it extended to accommodate a large studio and impressive exhibition space. They also designed a wonderful garden, crammed full of plants, with narrow paths and hidden 'rooms' that make it feel both exuberant and intimate, though in fact it is quite large for a town house garden. The house is now kept as a museum to Hornel's life and work, containing original furniture and his extensive library. What is lovely now is that the studio is currently used by another very talented artist Ewan McClure, artist in residence, whose work I enjoyed seeing in the house and in an exhibition in the Kirkcudbright Gallery. 

Narrow paths eventually lure you down to the bottom of the garden which overlooks the River Dee. I could have sat on that bench quite happily all day!