Balbardie
Designed by Robert Adam, Balbardie was described as his best classical house in Scotland, the grand manner in miniature. Balbardie had a life lived short: barely sixty years. Balbardie House … Continue reading Balbardie
Tag: Architecture
A Georgian Gem
I am collecting material for a film on Hawkhill, Leith, Edinburgh. This Villa, designed by John Adam, was demolished in 1971.
Lost and Found
This is a film that is based on my visit to 14 William Street, Greenock on the last Saturday of August 2019. No. 14 William Street is a rare survivor. … Continue reading Lost and Found
Girgenti: footnotes and forget-me-nots
Introducing Girgenti At Girgenti you can still hear two girls sing. Girgenti followed Paestum From Thimble Row to Discoveries:
Discoveries at Gigenti
This is my final film on Girgenti:
Colin
Colin, your daughter recalls how principled you were before your untimely death. I retrace your footsteps in revealing the wonder of Scotland’s architecture. And now, I am the principled bugger. … Continue reading Colin
Argyll
I was most fortunate that throughout my childhood I was able to spend the summer months in Argyll. My uncle, John Gibson Scott, had a cottage high above the shores … Continue reading Argyll
“An atmosphere of calm boredom”
For my birthday my wife bought me the Lanarkshire and Renfrewshire edition of the “Buildings of Scotland”. I was interested to come across this description of Carstairs State Hospital: In … Continue reading “An atmosphere of calm boredom”
S H A D O W S
This post is based on a feature in today’s Scottish Life about Dr Robert Blomfield.
A whole Gothic world had come to an end
Patrick Allan-Fraser of Hospitalfield, Arbroath, had this mortuary chapel and mausoleum built as a memorial to his wife Elizabeth following her death in 1873. I visited it with my wife … Continue reading A whole Gothic world had come to an end
Life outside – the start of
Avondale House, by Polmont:
A handful of dust
A few selected quotes from “A Handful of Dust’ by Evelyn Waugh: