A Bavarian-style rustic summerhouse, built in the mid-19th century as a wedding gift for 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, a UNESCO Global Geopark, 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 marriage further elevated the social standing of the Hamiltons, as Princess Marie was cousin to Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte and well-connected across Europe.
The summerhouse is built into the sandstone rockface and offers spectacular views over Brodick Bay. The Bavarian summerhouse at Brodick Castle 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."
Laura Baillie, the National Trust for Scotland ‘s Conservation Building Surveyor for the South & West region, said: “We’re delighted that visitors to Brodick this season can enjoy the summerhouse just as Princess Marie intended. The princess was a vibrant socialite who mingled with the highest ranks of European society, hosting them among her exceptional gardens.
“She had a close relationship with her cousin Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte, hosting him several times at Brodick Castle, even riding ahead of him as he made his state entry into Paris to be proclaimed Emperor in front of the Hôtel de Ville. This European influence is sure to have contributed to the feel of the garden and the Bavarian-inspired summerhouse.”
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.
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The conservation of the summerhouse is part of wider developments completed by the National Trust for Scotland in the gardens of Brodick Castle, Garden & Country Park ahead of the summer season. Children can take part in new monthly adventure trails in the park and explore the Isle and be Wild playpark, which has recently reopened after refurbishment. Visitors can enjoy the scenery from a new viewing point in the gardens and music from the local pipe band, brass band and music school throughout the castle grounds each month. Another of the summerhouses was reinstated to the walled garden in 2022, replacing a shelter built in the 1980s.
Tim Keyworth, the National Trust for Scotland’s Gardens and Designed Landscapes Manager at Brodick Castle, Garden & Country Park, said: “Though the gardens here changed dramatically during the 1920s under the management of the Duchess of Montrose, Princess Marie really laid the foundations for the garden that the Duchess developed. The union of Princess Marie and William was a catalyst that transformed the trajectory of the estate, as the princess drove their development into luxurious pleasure grounds with comfortable access to scenic woodland spaces.
“The conservation of the summerhouse is the latest stage in ensuring the gardens develop in the spirit of Marie’s vision, by creating opportunities for visitors to linger in the forest and enjoy the natural environment. We’re opening new vistas in the forest with the creation of raised seated platforms for ‘forest bathing.’ We also intend to reinstate the other summerhouses that Marie introduced to the estate, in locations that offer rest and shelter along the routes that visitors use today.”
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.
The National Trust for Scotland has been awarded £1,484,845 from Historic Environment Scotland’s Partnership Fund Grant over 2023-27. The funding enables the Trust to conduct vital conservation work across its built heritage properties, to use technology to better understand its built structures, and to invest in further training and skills development.
Dr Susan O’Connor, Head of Grants at Historic Environment Scotland, said: “The restoration of the Bavarian summerhouse at Brodick Castle is a wonderful example of the meticulous conservation required to safeguard a rare and remarkable structure, while also demonstrating the opportunities the National Trust for Scotland can provide to develop and sustain traditional and heritage skills through our Partnership Fund grant programme.
“We are proud to support nationally significant conservation work across the National Trust for Scotland estate, and invest in the skills, knowledge and training that our historic environment depends on. By investing in both heritage and people, we can help ensure that special places like this continue to be cared for and enjoyed for generations to come.”
