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Mellerstain, one of Scotland's great Georgian houses, was begun in 1725 by architect William Adam and finally completed in 1778, this grand stately home has a fascinating history, and is of unique architectural interest as the result of a fruitful collaboration of successive generations of the Baillie and Adam families, as patrons and architects. In 1725 William Adam was commissioned by George Baillie of Jerviswood to design a new house. There had been an earlier house on the site before William Adam was involved, but this was demolished to make way for his design.

The original drawings for this design are on display at the house and show a restrained Palladian mansion with two wings and a linking central block. The work on William Adam's design started in 1725, but came to a halt after the two wings were constructed. For some forty years one of the wings was used as the residence of the family and the other as a stables and servants quarters.

In 1759 another George Baillie, grandson of the previous, inherited the estate. As a young man in 1745 he had set off on the "Grand Tour" and had apparently come back to Scotland imbued with enthusiasm for and knowledge of current architectural taste. In 1770 he commissioned Robert Adam to design a new house.

The main design problem Adam had to resolve was to link the two wings of the incomplete house his father had begun. The position of the wings, determined by William Adam's design, set the scale, orientation and location on site of the proposed new building. The new house had to link to the old in a coherent architectural style and (given the choice of materials that was made) there was probably a relatively tight budget.

Much was to happen before the name Haddington was finally linked to Mellerstain. Charles, Lord Binning, died in 1735, and his son Thomas ultimately succeeded as 7th Earl, but it was the younger son, George, who in 1759 succeeded to the estates of Mellerstain and assumed the name of Baillie. So we have another George Baillie and it is he who was the builder of the main part of the house we know.

George Baillie had become imbued with the classical taste on the Grand Tour. The latest refinement of this taste, in the second half of the eighteenth century, was represented by Robert Adam, the most fashionable architect of his day, and the other sons of the old William Adam, who, as we have seen, had already begun to rebuild Mellerstain.

Robert Adam's influence is apparent in the plan of the house with its bold projection of the centre on the north front and the contrasting flat facade to the south, and the interior is almost wholly his work. The library with its bookcases and green and white marble mantlepiece is entirely Robert Adam, and the ceiling, dated 1770, is considered to be one of his masterpieces. Another splendid ceiling, dated three years later and decorated with eagles and sphinxes, is in the Music Room, once the Dining Room, in the centre of the garden front.

Fortunately nothing has been done by later owners to change the house as it was completed by George Baillie, but in the time of Lord Binning, eldest son of the 11th Earl of Haddington, Sir Reginald Blomfield was commissioned in 1909 to transform the slope which fell from the house to the lake at the foot of the hill into a series of garden terraces.

This Lord Binning, grandfather of the present Earl, was the grandson of George Baillie-Hamilton who in 1858 succeeded his second cousin as Earl of Haddington. George Baillie-Hamilton was himself the grandson of the builder of the house. From that day the earldom of Haddington and the estate of Mellerstain have been united, and Mellerstain still proudly stands, a monument to the fine taste of our forebears.

Corporate Hospitality and Weddings:

Mellerstain is able to host a variety of corporate visits, private parties and weddings. It is an ideal and exclusive location for board or management meetings. Lunches, dinners, suppers and/or concerts for up to 100 persons can be accommodated with ease. Classical Music concerts can be arranged. For more information about all the facilities of Mellerstain or about visiting, do have a look at their Website.

Opening Times - 2010:

House: 12.30 - 5 pm (last admission 4.15 pm)
Tea room, Grounds & gardens: 11.30 am - 5.30 pm
Easter Weekend: Open for 4 days
May, June & September: Sundays, Wednesdays & Bank Holiday Mondays
July & August: Sundays, Mondays, Wednesdays & Thursdays
October: Sundays only
1st November - 9th April: Although the House is closed to the general public, it is still available for weddings, private dinners and other functions.

Admission Prices - 2010:
House & gardens:
Adult - £7
Child - £3.50
Child (under 5yrs) - Free

Gardens only:
Adult - £4
Child - £2
Child (under 5yrs) - Free

More information on the garden can be found on The Gardens Guide.