The House of Dun is a

National Trust for Scotland The National Trust for Scotland for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, commonly known as the National Trust for Scotland ( gd, Urras Nàiseanta na h-Alba), is a Scottish conservation organisation. It is the largest membership organ ...

property in the parish of

Dun A dun is an ancient or medieval fort. In Ireland and Britain it is mainly a kind of hillfort and also a kind of Atlantic roundhouse. Etymology The term comes from Irish language, Irish ''dún'' or Scottish Gaelic ''dùn'' (meaning "fort"), ...

, lying close to the edge of

Montrose Basin Montrose Basin is a nearly circular tidal basin which makes up part of the estuary of the River South Esk and which sits just inland of the town of Montrose in Angus on the east coast of Scotland. The basin is protected by a number of designati ...

and situated approximately half way between the towns of Montrose and

Brechin Brechin (; gd, Breichin) is a city and former Royal burgh in Angus, Scotland. Traditionally Brechin was described as a city because of its cathedral and its status as the seat of a pre-Reformation Roman Catholic diocese (which continues today ...

, in

Angus, Scotland Angus ( sco, Angus; gd, Aonghas) is one of the 32 local government council areas of Scotland, a registration county and a lieutenancy area. The council area borders Aberdeenshire, Dundee City and Perth and Kinross. Main industries include agr ...

. The Dun Estate was home to the Erskine (later Kennedy-Erskine) family from 1375 until 1980.

John Erskine of Dun John Erskine of Dun (1509–1591) was a Scottish religious reformer. Biography The son of Sir John Erskine, Laird of Dun, he was educated at King's College, University of Aberdeen. At the age of twenty-one Erskine was the cause — probably by ...

was a key figure in the

Scottish Reformation The Scottish Reformation was the process by which Kingdom of Scotland, Scotland broke with the Pope, Papacy and developed a predominantly Calvinist national Church of Scotland, Kirk (church), which was strongly Presbyterianism, Presbyterian in ...

. The current house was designed by William Adam and was finished in 1743. (Work had commenced in 1732.) There is elaborate plaster-work by Joseph Enzer, principally and most elaborately in the saloon. The house replaced the original 14th Century Tower House to the west when

David Erskine, Lord Dun David Erskine, Lord Dun (1670–1758), 13th Laird of Dun, was a Scottish advocate, judge and commissioner to parliament. Erskine, son of David Erskine of Dun, near Montrose, in Angus, studied at the universities of St. Andrews and Paris. He be ...

, the 13th Laird of Dun, an Edinburgh lawyer appointed Lord of Justiciary in 1710, wanted a more comfortable and prestigious home. He opposed the union. It continued as the home to the Erskines for a further 250 years, undergoing some internal re-modeling when Lady Augusta Fitzclarence, natural daughter to

William IV William IV (William Henry; 21 August 1765 – 20 June 1837) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and King of Hanover from 26 June 1830 until his death in 1837. The third son of George III, William succeeded h ...

(previously the Duke of Clarence) and his long term mistress, Dora Jordan, married the Honourable John Kennedy Erskine, heir to the property through his mother Margaret Erskine of Dun. When they married they moved to the property and Augusta set about making several alterations, modernizing the property. The writer and poet

Violet Jacob Violet Jacob (1 September 1863 – 9 September 1946) was a Scottish writer known especially for her historical novel ''Flemington'' and for her poetry, mainly in Scots. She was described by a fellow Scottish poet Hugh MacDiarmid as "the most c ...

(1863 - 1946), author of "Flemington" and "Tales of Angus", was a member of the Kennedy-Erskine family and was born in the house. The last Laird of Dun was Mrs. Millicent Lovett. She moved out of the house to an estate house "temporarily" in 1948, moving all the furnishings and artifacts up into the attic. The rest of the house was leased to a local farming family who ran it as a bed and breakfast establishment for many years. Millicent never returned to the house and on her death in 1980 it was bequeathed by her to the National Trust for Scotland. The Trust discovered all the original furnishings in the attic and spent 9 years returning the house to the state it had been in at the time of Augusta. In 1989, the house opened to the public,

the Queen Mother ''The'' () is a grammatical Article (grammar), article in English language, English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite ...

presiding to mark the tercentenary of William Adam's death. The adjacent

nature reserve A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or ...

, part of the estuary of the South Esk, is also a National Trust for Scotland property.

Archaeology

The proximate area evinces archaeological evidence of early man dating back 9,000 years. Besides finds at the House of Dun property itself, there is a large standing stone a few miles to the north known as the

Stone of Morphie The Stone of Morphie (sometimes known as the Stone of Morphy) is a standing stone about 700 metres west of the Coast Highway (A92 road The A92 is a major road that runs through Fife, Dundee, Angus, Aberdeenshire, and Aberdeen City in Scotlan ...

Notable people

(1509 – 1591), Laird of Dun, Scottish religious reformer. *

(1670 – 1758), 13th Laird of Dun, Scottish advocate, judge and commissioner to the Scottish parliament. Commissioned William Adam to build House of Dun. Opposed the Union. * Margaret Erskine of Dun (1772 – 1848). *

Lady Augusta Gordon Lady Augusta Gordon (''née'' FitzClarence; 17 November 1803 – 8 December 1865) was a British noblewoman. Born the fourth illegitimate daughter of William IV of the United Kingdom (then Duke of Clarence and St Andrews) by his long-time mistres ...

(1803 – 1865), née FitzClarence, fourth illegitimate daughter of

and mother of

Wilhelmina FitzClarence, Countess of Munster Wilhelmina FitzClarence, Countess of Munster (''née'' Kennedy-Erskine; 27 June 1830 – 9 October 1906) was a British peeress and novelist. Her mother, Lady Augusta FitzClarence, was an illegitimate daughter of William IV of the United Ki ...

. *

(1830 – 1906), née Kennedy-Erskine, novelist. *

(1863 – 1946), Scottish writer & poet, known especially for her historical novel Flemington.

References

External links

House of Dun & Montrose Basin Nature Reserve
on National Trust for Scotland website {{DEFAULTSORT:Dun, House of National Trust for Scotland properties Country houses in Angus, Scotland William Adam buildings Category A listed buildings in Angus, Scotland Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes Gardens in Angus, Scotland History of Angus, Scotland Historic house museums in Angus, Scotland

Archaeology

Notable people

See also

References

External links