House of the Binns reopens to public

The start of April sees the House of the Binns, near Linlithgow, reopen to the public, providing the first opportunity to see the property’s interiors and collections since before the pandemic.

Built for butter merchant Thomas Dalyell in 1612, the country house has been the Dalyell family home for centuries and holds over 4,000 artefacts. This fascinating collection give glimpses into the history of the house, the family, Scotland and its place in the world over four centuries.

We have cared for House of the Binns since 1944. Our recent Bringing Back the Binns project demonstrates our commitment to improve the condition of our heritage buildings, ensuring their future, in line with our Nature, Beauty & Heritage for Everyone strategy. This is just one of a number of repair, restoration and conservation projects – large and small – that we’re carrying out across Scotland.

In support of our restoration aims, roof works began at the House of the Binns in 2022. The whole collection remained on site during the restoration project and was moved around, with great skill, to enable the work to take place. Lesley Scott, the National Trust for Scotland’s Regional Conservator, oversaw the movement and safe interim storage of the collection, making sure the greatest care was taken. Each piece was carefully condition-checked, dusted, checked for signs of pests and mould, and then labelled and packed for short-term storage and dust prevention. This was all carried out by a team of just 5 people over the space of 18 days. They packed over 100 pieces of historic china, 32 framed portraits, over 40 pieces of furniture, 3 clocks, a piano, curtains and curtain rails, light fittings, a fireplace and removable grates, and hundreds of small collectables, crockery and dinnerware items – all of which hold significance to the family.

Listen to our podcast episode where Jackie Bird chats to Lesley Scott about this decant process.

Over the following months, major repairs were carried out on the roof, and rooms were redecorated using period-appropriate colours and finishes. National Trust for Scotland curators, in close discussion with Kathleen Dalyell, advised on wallpapers and curtains that would be appropriate for the Georgian Morning Room and Dining Room, areas of the house that were most affected by the roof works. Our ongoing conservation work continues, and visitors will discover a house being actively cared for and lovingly maintained, in line with the family’s vision for the house.

Phil Long OBE, Chief Executive of the National Trust for Scotland, said: ‘Bringing back the Binns has been a real privilege for the Trust. Since 1944, the Dalyell family have entrusted the care of this important historic home to our conservation charity. We feel very honoured to have that responsibility for such a beautiful place so intertwined with centuries of Scotland’s history.

‘The works carried out over the past year not only show that we are doing what we said when we launched our new strategy here a year ago, making sure our places are well cared for, but they also enable us to reopen the doors to visitors once again. We cannot wait to share the House of the Binns’ stories with our supporters, who make all our vital work to care for Scotland’s special places possible.’

The House of the Binns is still home to Kathleen Dalyell OBE, the widow of Tam Dalyell who served as a Scottish MP for 42 years. As the former manager of the property, a member of the Historic Buildings Council for Scotland and the Chair of the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland (RCAHMS), Kathleen knows the stories of the Dalyells and their family home better than anyone. She often describes the house as having its own personality, one that welcomes people and loves visitors.

Kathleen Dalyell OBE said: ‘When I first arrived at the Binns on my marriage to Tam in 1963, I had no idea of the central role it would play in my life for over 60 years. At that time, my mother-in-law, Eleanor Dalyell who, along with her son Tam, had gifted the house to the Trust in 1944, was very much in charge of running the property in partnership with the Trust. It was from her, in those early years, that I learned to appreciate and love the house and its collection, its parkland and wonderful views.

‘On Eleanor’s death in 1972, I became more involved with the Trust in running the house. I very much enjoyed the contact with the Trust’s specialist staff with their skills and expertise, along with the constant flow of visitors and their unexpected knowledge of the house and family. Their interest and delight in the house increased my own; the most interesting and unusual always arriving as we were closing up at 5 o’ clock!’

Kathleen continued: ‘I have been impressed at the thought and hard work that has gone into restoring and stabilising the roof, along with work on the heating and electrical systems – all “behind the scenes” but an important investment for the future.

‘I am sure the redecoration and re-displaying of the collection “front of house” will be of interest and a delight to visitors. I am grateful to the National Trust for Scotland – with its excellent staff, members and volunteers – who have ensured that the history, legend and memory of the Binns can continue “to be preserved for all time”, as intended by Eleanor’s gift of 1944.’

Tours of the house give visitors the chance to learn about the Dalyell family tree and heritage, including General Tam Dalyell (also known as ‘Bluidy Tam’), a Scottish general who fought in the War of the Three Kingdoms, in the 17th century. Visitors also enjoy hearing about Tam’s alleged card game with the Devil, in which his cheating was discovered. The story goes that Auld Nick launched the table they were playing on across the room, narrowly missing Tam’s head and landing in the pond outside the house. Two centuries later, after a significant drought, the table was rediscovered and is a prized visitor attraction ... with a mysterious hoof mark burned into one of the corners.

Artefacts in the house also include Tam’s newly conserved riding boots, dating from the 1600s. According to the legends that sprung up after Tam’s death, the thigh-high Russian leather boots were given to a family member and were rumoured to march around his house on their own at night, until they were returned to the House of the Binns.

The house and its collections are set in beautiful grounds, just a 30-minute drive from Edinburgh, offering fantastic views over the Firth of Forth. Throughout the year, visitors can enjoy woodland walks, with daffodils in April and bluebells in May.

Book your tour of the House of the Binns