Fewer parts of Scotland have been richer in grand mansions and country houses than that ribbon of natural beauty stretching 170 miles from the Irish Sea to the North Sea and hugging the Solway and the border with England. Southern Scotland continues to boast architectural treasures such as Mellerstain, Paxton, Traquair and Abbotsford. Their continued survival only serves to heighten the sense of loss experienced when contemplating those buildings which have failed to survive the passage of time and the forces of change. Author and historian Dan Sweeney has specialised in the demise of lost mansions and houses, and has recounted many of those in Glasgow, Renfrewshire, Lanarkshire and Ayrshire in previous publications. Dan has now focused his lens on Southern Scotland, and in his latest book, entitled Farewell Grandeur, he chronicles and describes 104 mansions and houses which have either been lost to this landscape or survive in a much reduced form. Border’s properties from Abbotrule to Wolfelee are featured, while Glasserton, Mollance and Jardine Hall are among those which come under Dan’s scrutiny in Dumfries and Galloway. Informative and well-researched, the book interweaves details of the houses with snapshots of the people who occupied them to provide a readable record of the architectural grandeur lost to the region. With a selection of 136 illustrations it is sure to appeal to those interested in the Southern Scotland’s local history, its domestic architectural heritage and its commercial and economic development.
