A Bavarian-style rustic summerhouse built in the mid-19th century as a wedding gift for the Princess Marie of Baden has reopened following the National Trust for Scotland’s conservation works at Brodick Castle, Garden & Country Park.
A striking feature on the coastline of the Isle of Arran, the restored summerhouse is the grandest, and the only surviving, of four summerhouses built for Princess Marie in the gardens of Brodick Castle following her marriage to William the 11th Duke of Hamilton.
The summerhouse is built into the sandstone rockface and offers spectacular views over Brodick Bay. It is a listed building, described by Historic Environment Scotland as a “rare and outstanding example of an elaborately decorated summerhouse situated within a designed picturesque landscape."
“The princess was a vibrant socialite who mingled with the highest ranks of European society, hosting them among her exceptional gardens," said Laura Baillie, the National Trust for Scotland's Conservation Building Surveyor for the South & West region. “She had a close relationship with her cousin Louis-Napolean Bonaparte, hosting him several times at Brodick Castle.”
Conservation works on the summerhouse included maintenance of the rhododendron stem decoration, replacement of heritage glass in the windows, the addition of latches on the windows, and repairs to the slate facetted roof. Plans are underway to repair the original interior ceiling, which is decorated with pinecones, the work of Bavarian craftsmen. Joinery works were carried out by local TF Joinery and decoration works have been completed by local painter Homes by Holmes.
Along with the other three summerhouses, the Bavarian summerhouse provided a resting place along the ‘Romantic Walks’ created by Princess Marie through the woodlands between 1843 and 1863, in collaboration with her friend, the artist George Hering. Today, the summerhouse can be reached from Brodick Castle by way of a circular walk that passes the walled garden, pond and summerhouse, before heading back to the castle.
Photos copyright Alan MacAteer Photo.
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