Mansions and private mansions to visit Ayr

A Palladian villa from the 1750s, Dumfries House was built by the famous John and Robert Adam, with interiors decorated by Thomas Chippendale. Some rooms have been estimated at £4 million! Originally commissioned for William Dalrymple, Earl of Dumfries, it passed into the hands of the Marquesses of Bute in 1814. When the 7th Marquis decided to sell the house in 2007, his fate and that of its remarkable furniture was more than uncertain. Prince Charles himself, Duke of Rothesay, mobilized for its preservation and its opening to the public. Some of his watercolours can be seen in one of the salons. Since 2008, four different visits (all in English) have been organised to this symbolic building of the Scottish Enlightenment, which also includes 200 hectares of the original park, with promenades and an enclosed garden.

Special Favourite: The Dumfries House café is a must for a snack, as it is served in the old stables, with tables set in the stables where the horses used to be. Their names can still be read.

Park side: You can spend a whole day here, between the house and the huge park. Families will enjoy the children's adventure park and the educational farm. Garden lovers will stroll through the Chinese-inspired garden (with its bridge), the arboretum, the Rothesay gardens and the Queen Elisabeth Walled Garden.

Staying at Dumfries House: 22 magnificent guest rooms are now available for overnight stays, (B&B from £170/night).