Mellerstain House is an elegant Georgian mansion house about 3 miles from the village of Gordon. This beautiful house was designed by Robert Adam and is said to be one of his finest works. It is located within mature parkland boasting a stunning view (on a clear day) of the distant Cheviot Hills. The Italian terrace overlooks the splendid lake and woodland, which in the summer is ablaze with colour.
The house is cureently the home of George Baillie-Hamilton, 14th Earl of Haddington, who lives with his family in the private West Wing. The remainder of the house, including family and guest accommodation and functional rooms is open to the public to wander through and experience the elegance of 18th and 19th century living. The house and gardens are surrounded by mature parkland where there are many walks through the woods or beside the lake. The courtyard cafe is located beside the house and serves a varity of excellent pastries to enjoy before or after a relaxing stroll around the tranquil gardens.
House
Mellerstain House was built between 1725 and 1728, designed by William Adam and completed by his son Robert Adam. The estate was first mentioned in 1437 and in 1642 was granted by Royal Charter to George Baillie. His descendant George Baillie and his wife Lady Grisell Baillie (the daughter of Patrick Hume, Earl of Marchmont) commissioned William Adam to build a grand new house replacing the old five storey ruinous peel tower in which the family were living. William Adam designed the mansion with two wings and a linking central block with work commencing in 1725. The two wings were completed and the West Wing was used as servants' quarters and stables. The family, including their youngest daughter Rachel and her husband, Charles Hamilton, Lord Binning, son of the Earl of Haddington moved from the peel tower to the East Wing of the new house whilst waiting for the central block to be completed.
In 1731 Lord Binning became unwell and the family accompanied him to Naples where he died in 1732. The house remained unfinished, and when George died in 1738 the house and estate passed to his eldest daughter Grisell (Lady Murray). On her death in 1759 her nephew George Hamilton (Rachel's son), inherited the estate and as a mark of respect changed his name to Baillie. In 1770 after returing from the "Grand Tour" he commissioned Robert Adam, the son of William Adam to complete the house. It was finally finished in 1778 and remained the home of George and his descendants. In 1858 George's grandson George Baillie succeeded his childless second cousin as the 10th Earl of Haddington, becoming George Baillie-Hamilton, thus uniting the estates of Haddington and Mellerstain. The 12th Earl of Haddington died in 1986 and the 13th Earl chose to remain at Mellerstain, selling the ancestral Haddington seat of Tyninghame House. The estate is now owned by George Baillie-Hamilton,14th Earl of Haddington.
Mellerstin House is celebrated as one of Robert Adam's finest works and is consiodered to be ofne of the most beautiful houses in the country. The ceilings and plasterwork are classically decorated and the walls adorned with numerous family portraits and masterpieces.
Gardens and Parkland
The house is located within 100 acres of parkland including open spaces and dense woodland. The serene formal gardens and Italianate Terraces frame the beautiful house, offering extensive views over the countryside to the distant Cheviot Hills. The impressive lawn stretches from the terraces to a tranquil lake where woodland walks to the far end are rewarded with stunning views of the house. A short distance from the house is a quaint old thatched cottage and beutiful garden, built on the site of the original peel tower.
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