Hopetoun House

Absolutely loved my visit to Hopetoun House today! I was the first one through the door this morning, which felt like stepping into a private stately home tour – brilliant start to the day! The house itself is stunning, full of history, charm and breathtaking detail in every room. What really made the experience even better were the guides – every single one I spoke to was friendly, knowledgeable and clearly passionate about the place. They added so much depth to the visit and were happy to answer questions and share fascinating stories. Highly recommend a visit if you’re in the area – it’s a true Scottish gem!

Enjoyed the history and the grand rooms in Hopetoun House. The regal yellow and red drawing rooms were especially impressive as was the ballroom which had 3 huge chandeliers. Also enjoyed the woodland walks with the resident Roe deer herd.

We were absolutely blown away when we photographed a wedding at Hopetoun House, and are already excited to be back! We’ll never forget the moment we first saw the building as we approached down the driveway, and I know that was the same for all the guests. The staff were wonderful, the historic backdrops for photos were plentiful, and our hearts were so full when we left!

Beautiful place to visit. Been here twice as a visitor and again as a volunteer. Very friendly and knowledgeable staff with lots of history to share. A must for Outlander fans as the house has featured in many episodes as various different buildings. If Midhope castle is a must on your list, I'd recommend buying the combo ticket as it makes it cheaper to visit there.

Great place to visit, the team were so welcoming and friendly at Hopetoun House. The guides in the rooms were very knowledgeable and passionate, and shared information on the history and features of the house. It's probably the best visit I've ever had to a historic house. Thank you! Great cafe too

Absolutely stunning house, soaked in history wich the guides situated in most rooms can tell you about. Shout out to Maureen Smith who read to us in her native doric. She was so funny, lovely and eager to share her knowledge.

Billed as Scotland's Finest Stately Home. It certainly fits this billing. Scale, majesty, beauty and more are its gifts. 18th century architecture most refined. Opulent and historic. Highly recommended. I am a member of Historic Houses, so it's free for members. It isn't NTS.

I had originally booked some trips that would take me across the water to some of the local islands. But the weather had been really bad and I was near Incholm Abbey and saw the sign for hopetoun house. I had no idea what the site was. As an Outlander fan it's probably heretical that I did not know. So this was a major blessing for me on a stormy day

This review relates to my recent experience at Hopetoun and their amazing afternoon tea served in a building called "Stables ". Don't be put off by the name " Stables ". Yes, it's an old barn converted into a restaurant with its unique design of colours, blue, white and yellow/beige being the most dominant. The place is classy. The staff let's you feel welcome and serves in style, very politely. We ordered the famous afternoon tea and for myself it exceeded my expectations of deliciously tasty little cakes, lemon posset, soft and juicy cucumber, salmon and ham sandwiches, macaroons, tart pieces, leek and potato soup and scones with cream and jam. You also get a choice of teas and coffees. I won't say more, as you have to experience the afternoon tea assortment for yourself and maybe followed by a little walk around the premises, which are open to the public. Last year I also visited the Hopetoun House horse trials and it is an amazing experience for the family. It's normally on in June and this year 2015 over the last weekend of June. The house is also open to the public for an entrance fee. There is a small car park and little shed were you can buy your ticket from. Think for adults it's around £14. Enjoy x

Hopetoun is one of the very few 'proper' stately homes in Scotland open to the public and it's well worth the visit if you're in the area. The view of the house from the front lawn as you drive in is breathtakingly imposing - it's a bit like Castle Howard crossed with a bit of Blenheim Palance with its colonnaded curving wings. You can opt to visit just the grounds for £4.50, or for about double that price you get the house tour as well. Half of the house is still lived in by the Earl so you are limited in the rooms that are publicly viewable. It's still worth doing the tour though, and the guides are helpful and knowledgeable. The interiors range from late Georgian through Edwardian and there is some lovely panelling and great corniced ceilings to gawk at. Personally I thought it was worth it just for the rooftop viewing terrace - nestled in amongst the chimney pots, it provides fine views of the Forth bridges, the hills of Fife and northwards to Dunfermline and the Ochil Hills. The grounds are huge with some very nice woodland walks, and you would need to allow a good 2-3 hours at least to explore them all. We were most interested in the old site of Abercorn castle, from where you can get good views up the Forth towards Stirling and Ben Lomond in the distance. We didn't get much more of the grounds done as they were setting up marquees for a weekend event, but I'd happily return to finish exploring the grounds at some point. There is a tearoom in the stable block if you fancy a wee refreshment, sadly however it closes at 4.30 and we just missed it coming back from our walk. Next time!

keep away from the stables this was a fantastic visit. the ladies that were around the traps giving us some info on it just blew my mind. defiantly the best I have come across. so friendly so engaging and passion a plenty. I didn't know that Australia's first Governor General was from the family nor the relationship between this family and the hopetoun tea rooms in melbourne. LOVE IT!!!! But not telling, you have to find out yourself, hopefully it will stir an interest whilst you research it and you might take a visit. If you are a bridge GEEK like my partner then get to the roof top and check out the view. I would however miss the stables which are tea rooms now as the food not so good. I would have rather gone into a close by village and walked around exploring with a pie in my hand.

The signs say This is one of the finest homes in Scotland, however I am Scottish, visited South queens ferry on dozens of occasions and yet I never knew this place existed .... I'd say it's Scotland's best kept secret I didn't know what to expect however from the council houses you have to drive through my expectations where low, the the road opens up to a view of the firth of fourth and from there on it gets better and better Wonderful drive up to the main house, parking available, the grounds them self are very well kept. Enjoyed my visit and would recommend to any Visited June 2015

Stately homes would not be my first choice in tourist attractions, but the scale of this house hits you as you approach along the drive. As a mere peasant, the grandeur of this residence blows me away. For anyone who lives in a modern urban home, its hard to comprhend the scale of this place and to understand how one family could call this home, however long ago. That said, It is a treasure trove of art, architecture and furnishings. The home is also hired out for weddings etc and i have attended functions in the balroom and in marquees on the lawn. such opulence. Not really a value for money visit for families with young children but well worth a visit.

This is a large parkland with picnic spots, shop, tearoom, disabled facilities, free parking, rooftop viewing platform. It is a good day out for the family if you have good weather with loads of open space, small children might get bored looking around the house but very interestying for us adults. Slightly pricey for what it is so take a picnic and save on spending on food.

Quite simply, this was everything I was hoping Highclere (Downton Abbey) would be. Can't believe this is not a staple for Edinburgh visitors. Discreet Scotland tour guide, military veteran Matthew, took us here as we were seeking the finest of Scotland. NO TOUR BUSSES, with skews of AAA grade travelers found here! Do and pay whatever is needed to transport here if you are seeking a special , not a trip advisor check the box pedestrian experience. The home is designed to tour as if you are a guest. There are no signs, no ropes, etc. The rule is if the door is closed, we kindly ask that you not open it- 3 floors! The house is astonishing because the family resides with their two teenage sons and its contents are in tact: phenom oils; sterling; priceless antiques and furniture; leather bound libraries; and porcelain. Most impressive- especially if you are knowledgeable about the aristocratic and gentry class - it was standard to liquidate to survive after The Great War. This family has retained the acumen and providence to self sustain for three centuries! This family has been close with the past two monarchs, their youngest son having served as The Queen's page. Their personal photos beautifully shown in exquisite sterling frames are worthy of being under glass in a museum- A testament to them being - as we American's put it- the REAL deal. Their preservation of wealth, and the generation seems miraculous in light of all of the other homes we've visited. Most impressive to me, however, is their farm to table market that the community can sustain its dietary requirements. There's also a tea room- did not eat there. It's lovely, reminiscent of what the Cecil family did at Asheville's Biltmore, but with class. Very special place!

VISITED AS SCHOOL GROUP fifty 10-yr-old kids plus a handful of adults, late November 2012. Stunning scale, great views of all the Forth Bridges (especially from rooftop). Including hiring a bus, this cost about £8.50 per kid, so I was worried about whether it would be worthwhile I needn't have fretted, it's GREAT value for money!! Kids were met by house staff in Victorian costume, and were themselves dressed up as servants, and taught how to perform their various tasks. We got a tour of the house, including all the back-stairs areas and grounds, played Victorian games, and wrote with quill pens. Staff stayed in character for the whole day, and were brilliant really can't describe just how wonderful the atmosphere was. Such a well-judged mix of education and entertainment, and kids learned so much. They have been talking about it ever since book this if your school is studying Victorians you won't be disappointed! If visiting Oct March, like we did, the public won't be there so you gat the whole place to yourselves worth factoring into your plans! Think the cost of the visit/workshop was about a fiver, 10 am to 2.30pm. No weak points at all.

This is a lovely place to come and have lunch! The building is spectacular and really worth a visit! Some slight criticism was that my coffee was luke warm, the pot didn't pour properly and the cutlery was a bit dirty! All and all though would really recommend coming here to wander the house and grounds and relax.