A Time to Give…The Dumfries House Community Awards

Recognising Local Support

Since it was saved for the nation by HRH The Prince Charles, Duke of Rothesay and first opened to the public in 2007, Dumfries House has benefited greatly from the support, loyalty and goodwill of many people, particularly those from the local community.

This year, The Great Steward of Scotland’s Dumfries House Trust, by way of recognising the support it has received from local people, now wishes to give something back to neighbouring communities.

The Dumfries House Community Awards have been established to offer financial support to charitable and voluntary community groups in Cumnock, New Cumnock, Auchinleck and Ochiltree who work directly to benefit or bring added value to their communities. The Awards will be made annually and organisations will be able to reapply for further funding each year.

There will be one Star Award of £5,000 for a specific community based project. This is a match-funded award and the successful organisation would be required to demonstrate that they were in a position to match fund the Award made. There will also be several awards of less than £5,000 which will not require to be match-funded.

If you are a voluntary group or charitable organisation based or working within Cumnock, New Cumnock, Auchinleck or Ochiltree you are eligible to apply for a Dumfries House Community Award. Successful applicants will be informed at the end of May and Awards will be officially made to coincide with Jubilee Week starting on Monday 4th June.

For further information or to request an application form, please contact Mrs Glenis Leask on 01290 425959 or email g.leask@dumfries-house.org.uk

Closing date for applications is Monday 14th May 2012.

Building and Repairing Dry Stone Walls

Wednesday 9th & Thursday 10th of May 2012

This 2-day Course will provide hands-on instruction and training in the skills and techniques involved in constructing and repairing Dry Stone Walls. The course is aimed at Private Individuals, Estate and Farm Staff, Construction Industry Professionals, as well as those involved in landscape conservation and enhancement projects.

The course can accommodate a maximum of 12 participants and takes place over the two days at The Great Steward of Scotland's Dumfries House Trust, Dumfries House, near Cumnock, East Ayrshire, KA18 2NJ.

On each of the two dates the course runs from 9:30am to 4:30pm and delegates will receive a certificate acknowledging their successful completion of the course.

The course is led by George Gunn, an award winning DSWA Master Craftsman, who has been a professional member of the Drystone Walling Association since 1983 and is a fully qualified DSWA / LANTRA Advanced Instructor.

Participants will be required to wear stout footwear and outdoor clothing. Boilersuits, hard hats, safety goggles & gloves are provided.

The fee for the course is £50 and sandwich lunches, as well as tea/coffee will be provided.

Places on the course can be secured by sending an email confirming participation to Edith Platten, Education Manager at edith.platten@princesfoundation.org

For further information and to make a reservation telephone: 0207 613 8514

HRH the Prince Charles, Duke of Rothesay officially opens new guest house at Dumfries House Estate

On Wednesday 4th April, to coincide with the start of the new visitor season at Dumfries House, a new Guest House, Dumfries House Lodge, was officially opened by HRH The Prince Charles, Duke of Rothesay.

This six bedroomed luxury guest house is a new venture for the Dumfries House Trust which was set up by His Royal Highness in 2007. The Dumfries House Lodge will provide accommodation for individual guests within the beautiful setting of the Dumfries House Estate and will also provide overnight accommodation within the Estate for those attending private or corporate events and dinners at Dumfries House.

The interiors of the Lodge and the two cottages have all been designed by Annabel Elliot, renowned for her attention to historical detail and her extensive interior design work for the Duchy of Cornwall and Dumfries House. A great amount of thought and research has been put into selecting specific pieces for each of the rooms with many items having been sourced locally and, in some instances, from Dumfries House itself. The emphasis has been on comfort, but comfort with a modern edge. Each room enjoys all of the modern facilities expected by the discerning guest including discreetly integrated Plasma screen, WiFi and luxury tea/coffee facilities. Room Rates start at £60.00 with special rates for groups who wish take the whole property for exclusive use.

For more information about Dumfries House Lodge visit www.dumfrieshouselodge.co.uk

Stannah stairlift helps open up Dumfries House, East Ayrshire

In time for the Spring opening season on 4th April, the magnificent 250 year old Dumfries House in Ayrshire has been fitted with a special addition to add to its historic furnishings. 

An iconic Stannah Stairlift has been installed on the stately home’s grand staircase, helping the less able-bodied to explore the first floor of the Adam-designed building.

The family-owned, British manufacturing firm has delivered the bespoke curved Starla stairlift for Dumfries House, which was saved for the nation by a consortium led by HRH The Prince of Wales (known as The Duke of Rothesay in Scotland).

Dumfries House was designed and built for the 5th Earl of Dumfries, William Crichton-Dalrymple, between 1754 and 1759. Set in a 2,000 acre estate, the House is now open to the public for the first time in 250 years and boasts some of the country’s best examples of Chippendale and rococo furniture.

Patrick Stannah, joint managing director, Stannah Lift Services, said: “It has been a privilege to play a small part in bringing previously inaccessible parts of the house into the reach of its less-able bodied visitors. The stairlift proves that a sympathetically-designed, modern mobility aid can fit, unobtrusively, into a beautiful eighteenth-century building.

Sir Brian Ivory, Chairman of Trustees, The Great Steward of Scotland’s Dumfries House Trust, said: “Since we began the restoration of Dumfries House we have improved access facilities for less able-bodied visitors. The installation of the Stannah Stairlift will mean that another floor is accessible and we are very grateful for this welcome addition to the House.”

 

About Stannah 

Stannah is a world-leader in lift manufacturing, producing stair lifts, passenger lifts, escalators and moving walkways, vertical platform lifts, goods and service lifts. It is one of Britain’s leading engineering companies and remains an independent, family owned and run firm. The company’s experience of the lift industry is unsurpassed, originating in cargo lifts in the 1860s. In 1975, Stannah designed the first affordable, quick-to-install and easy-to-use stairlift and has since sold over 500,000 stairlifts worldwide.

 

Stannah is run today by fourth generation joint chairmen Alan and Brian Stannah, who launched the revolutionary Microlift and Maxilift in the 1960s and the Stannah stairlift in the 1970s. Today they are supported by the fifth generation of the family - Jon, Patrick, Alastair and Nick Stannah - who are proud torchbearers for Stannah’s long-held family spirit and traditions.

 

Stannah now operates in more than 40 countries and has subsidiaries in nine countries including Holland, Italy and America.

 

For more information visit www.stannahstairlifts.co.uk

Sunday Walks at Dumfries House Estate

April – June 2012

Blow the winter cobwebs away and join our curator on an exploration of the Dumfries House Estate.

These Spring and Summer walks will take you from the historic Stable and Coach House, via the Laundry Building across the Adam Bridge. From here you will follow the road to the site of the Walled Garden and back across the river to the western boundary of the original estate. The Beech Avenue will join the Estate Road from the west gates and take you to the Dovecot – the oldest surviving building on the estate. A brief stop at the sawmill will continue to the Coach House Cafe where the walk will conclude.

The walk is designed to let you learn about the interesting historic development of the Dumfries House Estate while enjoying a gently paced walk from site to site. There will be photocopies of historic maps to look at. As many of the sites are currently undergoing restoration you will be able to get an insight into the latest developments. The walk is suitable for all ages. Pooches welcome if accompanied by a well behaved Adult!

Dates: 22 April; 6, 20 May; 3, 17 June
Departure Time: 11:00
Meeting Point: outside the Coach House Cafe
Duration: 1.5 hrs
 

Horse Bloggers

Further along the riverside walk, a fallen lime tree proved a daunting obstacle even for the hardy volunteers. Some extra muscle power was required!

‘Sultan’ was ready and willing for the task! The Belgian Ardennes stallion is part of the Lenihan’s Celtic Horse logger team, from Grange-over-Sands, Cumbria, who are currently working on the Estate. Controlled by voice commands, this heavy duty, but environmentally friendly, ‘tractor’ managed to drag the logs along boggy paths on very uneven ground.

Celebrating Burns

The Prince of Wales (The Duke of Rothesay as he is known in Scotland) recorded a reading of “My Heart’s In The Highlands” in January 2009, to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the birth of Robert Burns.

‪Burns Night, which is held on Burns’s birthday, 25th January, is the annual celebration of Scotland's national poet Robert Burns. “My Heart’s In The Highlands” was written by Burns in 1789, and is one of the poet’s most famous songs.‪

The Prince undertook the recording in 2009 during a visit to Dumfries House in East Ayrshire, Scotland

Listen to the Recording here.

Click the Back button in your browser to return to the Dumfries House website once you have enjoyed the recording.

Romance is in the Air

Valentine’s Day Tuesday 14th February  

The ultimate in Romantic Evenings will be hosted within Dumfries House itself with Dinner being served in the Great Steward’s Dining Room which will lavishly dressed for the most Romantic evening of the year. £85.00 per couple.

Share the love!...Two or more couples booking at the same time and sharing a table will receive a complimentary bottle of Prosecco

Valentine’s Weekend Friday 10th and Saturday 11th February
Bistro Nights at the Stable Restaurant will have a hint of Romance

Reservations
T: 01290 429909
E: m.bell@dumfries-house.org.uk
 

Sunday Guided Walks for 2012

Join our curator, Charlotte Rostek, on an exploration of the Dumfries House Estate.

Dates: 15 and 29 January and 12 and 26 February, 11.00am

The walk will take you from the historic Stable and Coach House, via the Laundry Building across the Adam Bridge. From here you will follow the road to the site of the Walled Garden and back across the river to the western boundary of the original estate. The Beech Avenue will join the Estate Road from the west gates and take you to the Dovecot – the oldest surviving building on the estate. A brief stop at the sawmill will continue to the Coach House Cafe where the walk will conclude.

The walk is designed to let you learn about the interesting historic development of the Dumfries House Estate while enjoying a gently paced walk from site to site. There will be photocopies of historic maps to look at.  As many of the sites are currently undergoing restoration you will be able to get an insight into the latest developments.

Adults £8.50, Children £4.00.

Booking Line: 01290 421742
 

Mini Tour Guides from Local School

Now in its third year, an innovative partnership between Dumfries House and Ochiltree Primary School has produced another generation of mini tour guides who led their friends and relations around the stately home on Saturday 3rd December.

The girls and boys from P6 and P7 had prepared for their big day for weeks: an initial demonstration tour of the fabulous house and collection of Chippendale furniture was followed by in-class practice and an intensive rehearsal session at Dumfries House just a few days before the tours were launched. Ms Pamela Lockie, Deputy Head from Ochiltree Primary said ‘The children have been so excited by the opportunity to perform as tour guides at Dumfries House. They found the training very stimulating and put a lot of effort into their presentation skills’. Charlotte Rostek, Curator at Dumfries House, added ‘This has been the most rewarding year in the partnership yet. The children were exceptionally keen and fully embraced the challenge.’ The kids also designed their own tickets, which were sold at £6.00 each and included tea/coffee/juice and mince pies for everyone after the tours were finished.
The parents and relations had come in large numbers to see their youngsters talk about the history of the house and some of its priceless furniture. Many of them had never visited the house before and were beaming with pride. They agreed that the children’s confidence had been given a great boost by speaking in front of so many people.
The children themselves clearly loved the experience. Young Calan said: - ‘I loved being a Dumfries House Tour guide. It was awesome and fun to talk about history.’ Iona echoed the enthusiasm shared by all her peers:  ‘I loved it a lot and I want to be a Tour Guide. I want to do it again.’
The programme is designed to give young people a sense of ownership of this important  local visitor attraction which was saved for the nation by HRH, The Prince Charles,  in 2007. The brain child of Charlotte Rostek in 2008 the idea has been enthusiastically supported from the outset by  Fiona Black, Headteacher at Ochiltree Primary School, and Pamela Lockie.
Next spring there will be another opportunity for children from the school to train and perform as tour guides. With any luck, perhaps some of them have already have found their vocation.