Broughton House and Garden

About Broughton House and Garden

Broughton House encapsulates the heritage and history of Kirkcudbright in one outstanding property, complemented by a beautiful heritage garden. Owned by the famous Glasgow Boys’ artist Edward Atkinson Hornel from 1901, it is a treasure trove of art, books and artefacts all collected by him with the specific aim of handing down to future generations as complete a record as possible of the town’s heritage and history.
It was purchased in 1740 by Alexander Murray who served as the town’s Provost. Over the years, it served as home to many prominent members of the community, including the 4th Earl of Selkirk.
Hornel commissioned the famous Glasgow architectural practice of Honeyman, Keppie and Macintosh to design and build a large studio and sumptuous gallery which added immensely to the grandeur of the building. As well as being a repository for his huge collection of items related to the town, it also features acquisitions from his extensive travels to Japan, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Australia, the country of his birth in 1864.
Apart from painting, his passion was book collecting and he amassed a large and very valuable collection, not only of books about Dumfries and Galloway, but also an extensive and nationally important collection of books by, or about, Scotland’s national poet Robert Burns, including the famous ‘Kilmarnock Edition’ of his poems.
The property is now owned by the National Trust for Scotland and is maintained to a very high standard, consistent with the example set by Hornel himself and reflecting his desire to leave a suitable legacy for his beloved town.
Website: https://canmore.org.uk/site/69357/kirkcudbright-10-12-high-street-broughton-house