Day Trip: Arniston House

Arniston House is a hard-to-find gem tucked away in the wilds along the Border Railway. What is really special is you get a guided tour by the owner so it is a must-see! Full of rich history and everything a historic house should have - amazing artwork, tapestries, painstakingly redone wallpapers. Sir Walter Scott dined here. Much of the stonework which might have been discarded and lost forever from the old Scottish Parliament has been preserved at Arniston. When the new parliament building reopened, Arniston re-gifted stonework.

Fast Facts:

• Distance from Edinburgh:  13 miles
• Using public transport: 1 hour and 20 minutes but quite a lot of this is walking from the train station!
• History: this land originally belonged the Knight Templar and then the Knights of St. John. Their stone keep was knocked down to be replaced with the beautiful house which has been in the Dundas family for 400 years! They were one of the most influential families in Scotland in the 1700's.
• What there is to do: walk the fairytale woodlands, explore the stream, play spot the stonework, admire ancient trees, walk around the outside of the house (the owner has stashed some guided tours on printer paper in the foyer which we read while we walked), and take the tour of the house! The owner and her daughter take turns doing parts of the guided tours which are fascinating and riddled with family lore!

Pros:

• Beautiful gardens and woodlands
• Historic house
• Famous artists
• Convenient benches out front for picnicking
• Clean bathrooms attached to the stableyard
• the owner herself guides the tour

Cons:

• This would not be a good day trip on a rainy day as there is a long hike involved and most of what you can see is outside - you only go inside for the scheduled tours
• Also not good if you are having problems walking long distances. I am sure we must have clocked at least 7 miles between walking from the train station to the house, all around the gardens and house for hours, and then back to the station.
• Tours only take place during summer months on certain days of the week and at certain times - it can be tricky to schedule it in!