Featuring breathtaking photographs of some of Scotland’s most remarkable and little-known houses, this book tells the story of how incomers adopted the North of Scotland as a recreational paradise and left an astonishing legacy of architecture and decoration inspired by the romanticized image of the Highlands. Known as shooting lodges because they were designed principally to accommodate the parties of guests that flocked north for the annual sporting season, these houses range from Picturesque cottages ornées and Scotch Baronial castles to Arts and Crafts mansions and modern eco-lodges. While their designs respond to some of Britain’s wildest and most stirring landscapes, inside many were equipped with the latest domestic technology and boasted opulent decoration and furnishings from the smartest London and Parisian firms. A good number survive little altered in their original state, and some are still owned by descendants of the families that built them. Images from the famous Country Life Picture Library and specially commissioned photographs evoke the dramatic settings and arresting detail of these houses, making the book as appealing to decorators and architectural historians as it is to travelers and sportsmen.

26 houses photographed in colour and accompanied by informative text about their history.

Anne Fairfax and Richard Sammons are at the forefront of a movement among architects today who draw inspiration from the wellspring of the classical traditions in architecture. They have developed a body of work that reflects and adheres to the long-held theories of proportion and order passed down through many past generations of scholarship and practice. The firm's office also served as the headquarters for Henry Hope Reid's Classical America, the only organization offering an alternative to modernist aesthetics until the establishment of the Institute of Classical Architecture in 1992. The twenty-four projects in this volume show the firm's consistent focus on classical architectural beauty, whether the chosen style be Palladian, Tuscan, Mediterranean, Georgian, Adamesque, Neo-classical, British or Dutch Colonial, Colonial Revival, or even East Coast Shingle Style, in all of which Fairfax & Sammons are eminently proficient. The projects selected out of the firm's large body of work include country houses located in Connecticut, New York, Virginia, and Florida, including the renovation of town houses and apartments in New York City—all presented in new color photography.

In this new installment of Tasha Alexander’s acclaimed Lady Emily series set in the wild Scottish highlands, an ancient story of witchcraft may hold the key to solving a murder centuries later. In the summer of 1905, Lady Emily, husband Colin Hargreaves, and their three sons eagerly embark on a family vacation at Cairnfarn Castle, the Scottish estate of their dear friend Jeremy, Duke of Bainbridge. But a high-spirited celebration at the beginning of their stay comes to a grisly end when the duke’s gamekeeper is found murdered on the banks of the loch. Handsome Angus Sinclair had a host of enemies: the fiancée he abandoned in Edinburgh, the young woman who had fallen hopelessly in love with him, and the rough farmer who saw him as a rival for her affections. But what is the meaning of the curious runic stone left on Sinclair’s forehead? Clues may be found in the story of Lady MacAllister, wife of the Laird of Cairnfarn Castle, who in 1676 suddenly found herself widowed and thrown out of her home. Her sole companion was a Moorish slave girl who helped her secretly spirit her most prized possessions—a collection of strange books—out of the castle. When her neighbors, wary of a woman living on her own, found a poppet—a doll used to cast spells—and a daisy wheel in her isolated cottage, Lady MacAllister was accused of witchcraft, a crime punishable by death. Hundreds of years later, Lady Emily searches for the link between Lady MacAllister’s harrowing witchcraft trial and the brutal death of Sinclair. She must follow a trail of hidden motives, an illicit affair, and a mysterious stranger to reveal the dark side of a seemingly idyllic Highland village.

Fifteen lavishly detailed Southern houses in Atlanta, Georgia, South Carolina, the Virginia Piedmont, along the Florida coasts, and in the mountains of North Carolina, from a leader in traditional architecture. Esteemed Atlanta architect Norman Davenport Askins made his name with his mastery of historical precedent. His gracious and livable designs recall such diverse sources as Italian Renaissance country villas, hillside castles in the Dordogne, and the very strong presence of the Colonial Revival and Federal houses in Atlanta and the greater South. Inspired by Tradition presents a portrait of Southern elegance through Askins’s trademark infusion of traditional design with understated innovation and style. New color photographs of interiors and landscape, commissioned specially for the book, complement traditional hand-drawn plans and elevations. In a special section dedicated to “Elements of Tradition,” Askins identifies the key components of traditional design and the parameters for using them successfully. Ultimately he believes in approaching tradition with innovation and individuality—adding touches of glamour, humor, and romance that bring his houses to life.

At the heart of this stirring tale and visual delight is a group of ten extraordinary houses and castles that have survived the vicissitudes of Scotland's history with almost all of the original families who built them still in residence today. Their histories are peopled with strongwilled men and women--from the notorious General Tam Dalyell of the House of the Binns, who served not only the Stuart kings but the czar of Russia, to the first Duke of Queensberry, who built one of the most sensational castles in Britain, to a love match worthy of the "auld alliance" between the Earl of Stair and his French-born countess. Each house also represents a landmark in Scotland's architectural history, ranging from the early seventeenth to the early twentieth century. The cutting-edge classicism of William Bruce at Balcaskie, the sensational French chateau-inspired Drumlanrig, the splendor of William Adam's baroque at Arniston, and the sublime Palladianism of his sons, the Adam brothers, at Dumfries House, are a roll call of architectural genius. The Victorian passion for all things Scottish is displayed in Lochinch Castle, a bravura example of the Baronial style, bristling with turrets, bartizans, and stepped roofs. And Robert Lorimer's beautifully crafted reconstruction at Monzie at the turn of the twentieth century reveals him as a major talent who synthesized European and purely Scottish styles, expressing, like his fellow architects in this book, a uniquely Scottish sensibility. The architectural revelation is matched by the houses' sensational settings, which merge the historically designed gardens and landscape with the unparalleled wildness and vistas of Scotland. But, as author James Knox writes in his lively, insightful text, "The glory of Scottish country houses is not just their architecture but their contents, which add layers of personality to the interiors." As Knox guides the reader on an intimate tour of the houses, he recounts their fascinating histories and profi les the colorful, often eccentric, lairds, lady lairds, clan chiefs, and nobles who have called them home. And James Fennell's masterly photographs, which rely solely on natural light for effect, capture the distinctive atmosphere of each residence. The Duchess of Buccleuch's boudoir at Bowhill is a frenzy of chinoiserie, needlepoint, and silk tassels. At Ballindalloch, the Macpherson-Grant tartan carpets the entrance hall and Victorian paintings of the family's prized Aberdeen Angus herd--the oldest in Scotland--adorn many a room. The motto of the Munro clan, "Dread God," is emblazoned throughout Foulis Castle--on china, wall plaques, not to mention the clan chief 's bonnet. All of these cherished houses are chockablock with memories of the past, from swagger portraits to sporrans, from vintage photographs to ancient weaponry, from curling stones to fading chintz. Some are also treasure houses, not least Dumfries House, saved from the auction block by a consortium headed by the Prince of Wales, which boasts an unrivaled collection of documented Chippendale and Scottish rococo furniture. "The Scottish Country House" will enthrall anyone with an interest in Scotland, history, architecture, or interior decoration--all wrapped in a compelling narrative of past lives and taste. Praise for "The Scottish Country House" "If you like historic homes, this book is for you. It's filled with beautiful photos of historic Scottish castles and grand estates." -"Design*Sponge" "Who can resist a beautiful chateau set in the lush green countryside of Scotland? I, for one, cannot. In James Knox's new book, he focuses on ten standout examples of Scottish country living. With each house, he details the history of the establishment, and follows through to how it stands today." --"Home Design with Kevin Sharkey" "This book, filled with lavish photography by James Fennell, profiles ten outstanding Scottish castles and mansions, from sprawling Walter Scott