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Broughton House in Kirkcudbright

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Broughton House is situated on the High Street in Kirkcudbright town in Dumfries & Galloway southwest Scotland, 48 miles east of Stranraer, 27 miles southwest of Dumfries.

Broughton House has a small fee to enter, open from 1st April to 31st October, 12.00 to 17.00.

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Broughton House was built in 1732 in the centre of Kirkcudbright town, on the High Street, just round from the rear of MacLellan's Castle.

Broughton House History

1732 - the building was completed as two town houses, numbers 10 and 12 High Street.

1740 - both houses were bought by the Provest of Kirkcudbright, Alexander Murray, so he could convert them into one large house.

1756 - Murray sold the house to the first of a number of owners, including the 5th Earl of Selkirk.

1901 - the artist E. A. Hornel bought the house for £650. Hornel was an artist associated with the Glasgow Boys. He had spent a year painting in Japan, where he produced around 30 paintings.

These paintings were exhibited in Glasgow in 1895, with money made from the painting going towards the purchase of Broughton House.

Hornel lived in the house with his sister Tizzy, and had the gardens remolded with a Japanese influence.

1910 - Hornel had his friend the the Glasgow architect John Keppie add a gallery to the house.

1933 - Hornel died leaving his sister with the house, his paintings, and book collection.

1950 - Tizzy died, leading to the property being taken over by the National Trust for Scotland to serve as a museum.

Hornel's will stated he wanted the house to be preserved as a public art gallery for the people of the area and visitors.

The house contains period furniture, art by Hornel and others, 15,000 books collected by Hornel, news paper cuttings and letters.

The book collection includes a 2,500 volume of works by and about Robert Burns, claimed to be one of the largest collections in the world.

The frieze in the gallery is similar to the Elgin Marbles in the Parthenon.

The gardens run down towards the marina on the River Dee with sundials from the 1600s and 1700s.

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