When I signed up to take a class on the decoration and furnishing of country houses from 1700-1830, I knew we would we visiting some fabulous estates, but I was not quite prepared for what I experienced at Hopetoun. As it turned out, we had special access to the house as my professor had taught the now Countess of Hopetoun when she was at St Andrews for her undergrad. We ended up being greeted at the door by her Ladyship herself, after which she served us coffee (in china cups, of course) in the family drawing room, not usually open to visitors. We didn't sit for long, and Lady Hope didn't look or dress according to how we Americans necessarily think
a countess should, but it did feel for a moment like we had stepped into the world of Downton Abbey, or some real life equivalent. It was so interesting to see how people really still live in places like that, and the house did feel distinctly
lived in, modern family pictures mingling with grand 18th and 19th century portraiture, Lady Hope's son running in to ask her a question about his spelling homework, and the family's dog pitter pattering around the house as we made our tour. It was certainly an experience I will not soon forget.
The house itself is incredible, and my pictures in no way do it justice (sorry that they are somewhat blurry and quite poor quality, I was trying to sneakily take pictures with my iPhone while my professor was lecturing!). My picture of the front of the house is only a portion of the whole. For a better idea of the grandeur of the estate, see their
website.
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| the elevation of Hopetoun House |
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| coffee in the family drawing room |
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| the yellow drawing room |
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| doorway from the red drawing room to the dining room |
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| chimney peice in the red drawing room |
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| the dining room... to quote the Countess, "we DO try to use the formal dining room whever possible, you know." um, yeah, i would too. |
P.S. Hopefully some very exciting blog posts coming up... my spring break starts Monday and I have quite a few things planned, including trip to Sterling and a mini Austen/Bronte literary tour!!
