*** Special Offer: For a £5 discount on Historic Houses membership use code STEW05 ***
Historic Houses is the only one of the big three UK heritage organisations that covers all four home nations, England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, with outstanding properties in each.
Abbotsford
English Heritage, as the name implies, covers only England and the National Trust does not include Scotland.
This website has already described many of the hundreds of properties that come under Historic Houses in England.
This article however will review Historic Houses properties in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and specifically those that are free-to-visit for members.
We give some indication here of when some of the properties described are open, however, if planning a visit, please check opening times on the individual property’s website as they can vary at short notice.
There are sixty-nine properties in Scotland under the auspices of Historic Houses. Thirty-nine of these are free-to-visit for members and include three properties we particularly enjoyed visiting: Abbotsford, Drumlanrig Castle and Hopetoun House.
Abbotsford in the Scottish Borders was built as a Gothic baronial mansion by the author Sir Walter Scott between 1817 and 1825. Visiting the house provides many interesting insights into the life and times of the author, including taking in the atmosphere of the Study where he wrote many of his most famous works.
Other impressive rooms in the mansion include the Library, the Chinese Drawing Room, the Armoury and Abbotsford Chapel. The grounds contain a Walled Garden, added by Scott in 1823, and there are walks down by the River Tweed.
Abbotsford house and gardens are open from March to December.
Drumlanrig Castle
Drumlanrig Castle in Dumfries & Galloway was built in Renaissance style between 1679 and 1689 in distinctive red sandstone.
The castle itself is open for guided tours during weekends in Spring and Summer.
The gardens are much reduced from their 18th Century glory days, but are still well worth visiting, as is the extensive parkland surrounding the castle with walks down to the River Nith.
Hopetoun House near South Queensferry just outside Edinburgh, dates back to 1699-1701. The interiors were developed over the following years, partly by the Scottish architect William Adam, and illustrate well the elegance of the Georgian period.
Hopetoun House
Our self-guided tour of the house took in several magnificent state rooms, including the Garden Room, the Yellow Drawing Room, the Red Drawing Room and the exquisite State Dining Room.
The gardens and parkland at Hopetoun House, again in part designed by William Adam, are in English Garden style. The Walled Garden was a later addition. When we visited there were numerous deer in the grounds that seemed remarkably friendly with passers-by.
Hopetoun House and gardens are open most days of the week from April to September.
Hopetoun House State Dining Room
Other free-to-visit houses in Scotland include three with strong royal connections: Balmoral Castle in the Scottish Highlands, Glamis Castle near Forfar, the birth place of Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, and Scone Palace in Perthshire, which is strongly linked to Scotland’s royal history.
Five attractive gardens (but not their accompanying houses) are also free-to-visit for Historic Houses members: The Japanese Garden between Stirling and Perth, Drummond Castle Gardens in Perthshire, Gordon Castle Walled Garden between Aberdeen and Inverness, Pitmuies Garden in Angus and Logie House Garden (home to the inventor of the Digestive Biscuit) near Inverness.
There are twenty-nine Historic Houses properties in Wales, of which twelve are free-to-visit, including the Plas Cadnant Hidden Gardens in Anglesey.
Plas Brondanw
We found Plas Brondanw House and Gardens, in the southern foothills of Snowdonia, to be particularly impressive. The house itself dates back to 1550, but both the building and the gardens were very run down when inherited by the architect Clough Williams-Ellis in 1908.
Clough is best known for his village and gardens at Portmeirion, but many consider the gardens at Plas Brondanw to be one of his greatest achievements.
They are inspired by the gardens of Renaissance Italy and are set out in a series of enclosed ‘rooms’ with pieces of sculpture, topiary, pools, fountains and ornamental pathways.
There is also a woodland walk to a folly tower with panoramic views from the top to a backdrop of Snowdonian peaks.
The house has several stylish rooms and, when we visited, there was an art exhibition featuring ‘gold’ work by Clough’s daughter, Susan Williams-Ellis. Both the gardens and the house are open throughout the year for several days each week.
Historic Houses has just six properties in Northern Ireland of which two are free-to-visit, both with just the gardens and parkland being accessible.
Glenarm Castle
Glenarm Castle in the Glens area of County Antrim dates back to 1636 and has been the home of the McDonnell family throughout that time.
The gardens and grounds are open from Spring to Autumn with the Walled Garden and the Woodland Walks being key features. There are great views down to the scenic Antrim coastline.
The other free-to-visit gardens are on the other side of Belfast in County Down and belong to the Montalto Estate. In addition to formal gardens, there are trails through the estate grounds. They are open throughout the year.
If you intend to visit more than a couple of the Historic Houses properties, then taking up annual membership may save you money. Individual membership is £68 a year and joint membership £128 a year. However if you enter code STEW05 you will get a £5 discount when you join via the Historic Houses website. This applies to new members and if you wish to give annual membership as a gift.
To access these special rates, Under 'Rate Preference' select 'Senior Discount'Click on 'Special Rates' select 'Senior Rate'.• See discounts also at Best Western, Marriott, Radisson, Ramada andAccor
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• For a £5 discount on new membership, use code STEW05 on the Historic Houses website.
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Historic Houses in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
*** Special Offer: For a £5 discount on Historic Houses membership use code STEW05 ***
Historic Houses is the only one of the big three UK heritage organisations that covers all four home nations, England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, with outstanding properties in each.
English Heritage, as the name implies, covers only England and the National Trust does not include Scotland.
This website has already described many of the hundreds of properties that come under Historic Houses in England.
This article however will review Historic Houses properties in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and specifically those that are free-to-visit for members.
We give some indication here of when some of the properties described are open, however, if planning a visit, please check opening times on the individual property’s website as they can vary at short notice.
Historic Houses in Scotland
There are sixty-nine properties in Scotland under the auspices of Historic Houses. Thirty-nine of these are free-to-visit for members and include three properties we particularly enjoyed visiting: Abbotsford, Drumlanrig Castle and Hopetoun House.
Abbotsford in the Scottish Borders was built as a Gothic baronial mansion by the author Sir Walter Scott between 1817 and 1825. Visiting the house provides many interesting insights into the life and times of the author, including taking in the atmosphere of the Study where he wrote many of his most famous works.
Other impressive rooms in the mansion include the Library, the Chinese Drawing Room, the Armoury and Abbotsford Chapel. The grounds contain a Walled Garden, added by Scott in 1823, and there are walks down by the River Tweed.
Abbotsford house and gardens are open from March to December.
Drumlanrig Castle in Dumfries & Galloway was built in Renaissance style between 1679 and 1689 in distinctive red sandstone.
The castle itself is open for guided tours during weekends in Spring and Summer.
The gardens are much reduced from their 18th Century glory days, but are still well worth visiting, as is the extensive parkland surrounding the castle with walks down to the River Nith.
Hopetoun House near South Queensferry just outside Edinburgh, dates back to 1699-1701. The interiors were developed over the following years, partly by the Scottish architect William Adam, and illustrate well the elegance of the Georgian period.
Our self-guided tour of the house took in several magnificent state rooms, including the Garden Room, the Yellow Drawing Room, the Red Drawing Room and the exquisite State Dining Room.
The gardens and parkland at Hopetoun House, again in part designed by William Adam, are in English Garden style. The Walled Garden was a later addition. When we visited there were numerous deer in the grounds that seemed remarkably friendly with passers-by.
Hopetoun House and gardens are open most days of the week from April to September.
Other free-to-visit houses in Scotland include three with strong royal connections: Balmoral Castle in the Scottish Highlands, Glamis Castle near Forfar, the birth place of Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, and Scone Palace in Perthshire, which is strongly linked to Scotland’s royal history.
Five attractive gardens (but not their accompanying houses) are also free-to-visit for Historic Houses members: The Japanese Garden between Stirling and Perth, Drummond Castle Gardens in Perthshire, Gordon Castle Walled Garden between Aberdeen and Inverness, Pitmuies Garden in Angus and Logie House Garden (home to the inventor of the Digestive Biscuit) near Inverness.
Historic Houses in Wales
There are twenty-nine Historic Houses properties in Wales, of which twelve are free-to-visit, including the Plas Cadnant Hidden Gardens in Anglesey.
We found Plas Brondanw House and Gardens, in the southern foothills of Snowdonia, to be particularly impressive. The house itself dates back to 1550, but both the building and the gardens were very run down when inherited by the architect Clough Williams-Ellis in 1908.
Clough is best known for his village and gardens at Portmeirion, but many consider the gardens at Plas Brondanw to be one of his greatest achievements.
They are inspired by the gardens of Renaissance Italy and are set out in a series of enclosed ‘rooms’ with pieces of sculpture, topiary, pools, fountains and ornamental pathways.
There is also a woodland walk to a folly tower with panoramic views from the top to a backdrop of Snowdonian peaks.
The house has several stylish rooms and, when we visited, there was an art exhibition featuring ‘gold’ work by Clough’s daughter, Susan Williams-Ellis. Both the gardens and the house are open throughout the year for several days each week.
Historic Houses in Northern Ireland
Historic Houses has just six properties in Northern Ireland of which two are free-to-visit, both with just the gardens and parkland being accessible.
Glenarm Castle in the Glens area of County Antrim dates back to 1636 and has been the home of the McDonnell family throughout that time.
The gardens and grounds are open from Spring to Autumn with the Walled Garden and the Woodland Walks being key features. There are great views down to the scenic Antrim coastline.
The other free-to-visit gardens are on the other side of Belfast in County Down and belong to the Montalto Estate. In addition to formal gardens, there are trails through the estate grounds. They are open throughout the year.
If you intend to visit more than a couple of the Historic Houses properties, then taking up annual membership may save you money. Individual membership is £68 a year and joint membership £128 a year. However if you enter code STEW05 you will get a £5 discount when you join via the Historic Houses website. This applies to new members and if you wish to give annual membership as a gift.
We have reviewed many other free-to-visit Historic Houses properties, mainly in England, and see also Historic Houses versus National Trust – Which to join?
POSTED 9th MAY 2025 by STEVE HANSON. The photographs were taken by BARBARA HANSON except that of Glenarm Castle which is from Dreamstime.