Duddingston House is clearly designed to impress the visitor as one enters the “Great Hall” and has now been painstakingly restored by the current owners incorporating contemporary art, design, and digital technology.

Duddingston House is now being made available for a limited number of exclusive events.

There are seven rooms available on the ground floor including the Great Hall, which are suitable for hosting an event for up to 150 guests.

 

The entrance to the house has a distinctive tetrastyle portico of fluted Corinthian columns and at the time of completion no one had seen anything like it in Scotland. The house has many examples of fine plasterwork and grand fireplaces such as the marble fireplace in the dining room executed by Sefferin Alken. The Great Hall was designed to impress the visitor and its visual impact today remains a stunning focal point to the house.

The Rose room is situated at the front of the house and leads into the Ball Room located to the rear of the building, which is very spacious and can accommodate a large group for dinner or a meeting.

The Bird Room on the opposite side of the house is ideal for guests to enjoy pre-dinner entertainment followed by drinks and canapés.

The Fern Room is a smaller room, which is located towards the rear of the building and has a connecting door, which leads into the informal setting of the adjacent Trapeze Room, which is suitable for serving after dinner drinks.

The Garden Room is the smallest room on the ground floor and looks out to the rear of the house.

However it is the Great Hall, which is the showcase of the building and ideal for coffee breaks during corporate events or cocktail receptions. The centre of the room is lit up with a spectacular chandelier and incorporates contemporary artworks commissioned specially for the house.

Designer Vanessa Beecroft created the impressive artwork, which hangs on the walls of the Great Hall. The unique red and white heart shaped chairs and the glass tables with gold legs that sit strikingly on the black and white floor covering are by Domusnova.

The property is fully equipped with audio equipment including televisions, DVD players, laptops, a lectern with microphone as well as a projector in the main room and in the foyer, which must be operated by an approved technician.

 

About Duddingston House

Duddingston House, located near Edinburgh City Centre, was built for James Hamilton the 8th Earl of Abercorn who bought the estate at Duddingston in 1745 and commissioned Sir William Chambers in 1763 to design a summer house for entertaining.

Chambers design takes inspiration from Palladio's Villa Capra and is unique to Scotland as the first Palladian house to be built with servant's quarters, chapel and stables laid out in the adjacent courtyard.

Contact & Bookings

Facility fee varies depending on the length of hire from half to full day or evening. Please call Elaine Howie on 0131 622 3113 for further information, to arrange to visit the property or to make a booking.

Exclusive catering packages designed specifically for Duddingston House are available from Wilde Thyme. Please call Charlotte Kyle on 01764 679 736 for further details.