Published in Scotland Magazine Issue 39 on 23/06/2008.

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Historic havens

Scotland offers all manner of accommodation for visitors. Richard Goslan finds some with historical interest.

We’re never going to be able to market ourselves for our sunny days or beach holidays. But if there’s one thing we really can do well in Scotland, it’s history.

From the 5,000 year old Neolithic structures of Maeshowe in Orkney to the country’s countless castles, stories of our past are everywhere we look.

What’s more, visitors have the opportunity not just to view Scotland’s history, but in many cases, they can actually be part of it – by staying overnight in a house or hotel with genuine historic interest.

The options vary enormously, from simple little inns to grand castles, but the common thread is that at one time, the buildings played host to some of Scotland’s most influential and famous characters.

Take Auchinleck House, for example. This mansion near Cumnock in East Ayrshire was built in the mid-18th century by Alexander Boswell, father of the famous biographer James Boswell.

In 1999 Auchinleck House was bought by the Landmark Trust, a building preservation charity, and fully restored.

The Trust now rents out the home as accommodation, where guests can soak in the atmosphere which inspired the young Boswell in his literary endeavours. Also still available is the famous drinker’s Book of Company, a list of the alcohol Boswell consumed between 1782, when he become laird on his father’s death, and 1795, when he died.

Tibbie Shiels Inn can’t compete with the grandeur of Auchinleck House, but the historic coaching inn overlooking St Mary’s Loch between Selkirk and .....

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By Richard Goslan

Section : Scotland Accommodation

Page number : 46