Broomhall House

23/06/2026

Marking the 712th anniversary of the Battle of Bannockburn, on 23rd June 1314, where King Robert the Bruce defeated a much larger and better equipped army led by Edward II, we'd like to highlight the Bruce family's role in commemorating the famous victory.

In 1931, prompted by the news that Stirling Burgh Council was seeking to purchase the battlefield for a council housing scheme, Edward Bruce 10th Earl of Elgin organised an appeal on behalf of the National Trust for Scotland to acquire the land. With the help of renowned Scottish author John Buchan, the appeal was a success, and Bannockburn was saved for the nation.

Pictured is Edward Bruce, 10th Earl of Elgin, alongside son Andrew Bruce (current Earl of Elgin) and grandson Charles Bruce, holding the sword of King Robert with Queen Elizabeth II, at the 650th anniversary of the Battle of Bannockburn in 1964.

https://broomhallhouse.com/2020/06/a-near-run-thing-the-battle-of-bannockburn-revisited/

05/06/2026

Among the most influential Scottish writers represented in the library at Broomhall House is Adam Smith. Born in Kirkcaldy on 5th June 1723, Smith developed his understanding of political economy as a student at Glasgow University where he attended the lectures of Francis Hutcheson, Scotland’s foremost philosophical writer of the mid-eighteenth century.

First editions of Smith’s Theory of Moral Sentiments (1759) and Hutcheson’s System of Moral Philosophy (1755) are pictured here. Our copy of the Theory of Moral Sentiments is particularly significant. It has been at Broomhall since the early nineteenth century. It once belonged to James Oswald of Dunnikier, a close friend of Smith since childhood; his daughter Elizabeth married the 7th Earl of Elgin in 1810 and came to live at Broomhall bringing her treasured books with her.

Discover more about Broomhall House and visit its wonderful library on our exclusive private tours.

https://broomhallhouse.com/enquire/

29/05/2026

On this day, on the 29th May 1687 King James VII of established the Most Ancient and Noble Order of the Thistle. Lord Elgin (11th Earl of Elgin and 15th Earl of Kincardine) is currently the oldest and longest-serving non-Royal Thistle knight in the history of the Order. He has served for 45 years having been made a Knight of the Thistle in 1981.

The family of Bruce are immensely proud of his service over the years, and this wonderful portrait painted by George Bruce in 1986 shows him wearing the robes of the Most Ancient and Noble Order of the Thistle.

01/05/2026

On the 2nd May 1316 the brother of King Robert the Bruce, Edward Bruce was crowned High King of Ireland. The Bruce family were invited to take part in the memorial event for Edward which involved the unveiling of a commemorative Bruce Boulder in Louth by Lord and Lady Bruce in 2023.

You can read more about this and the Bruce Trail initiative in this Irish Independent article.

https://www.independent.ie/regionals/louth/dundalk-news/irelands-last-high-king-commemorated-as-bruce-boulder-unveiled-in-louth/a1150687437.html

On our bespoke, private tours at Broomhall House you can discover more about the Family of Bruce and their many historical connections.

With breath-taking views across South Armagh and the Cooley mountains, Dundalk Bay and the plains of Muirhevna, the old graveyard on the hill of Faughart is a fitting resting place for a king.

14/04/2026

From tomorrow till Thursday, will be ready to meet you at . Organised by VisitScotland the event runs 9am - 5pm on Wednesday 15th and 9am - 4pm on Thursday 16 April.

It’s a fantastic opportunity to find out more about the historical connections and how you can book our bespoke tours. No two tours are ever the same.

Find out more about Broomhall House in our brochure:https://broomhallhouse.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/BroomhallHouse_Brochure.pdf

06/04/2026

will be at

Scotland’s flagship travel trade event organised by . Come and find our stand at the Scottish Event Campus (SEC) in Glasgow to find out how you can book our exclusive, private tours and discover more about the

We always love to meet new people at this fantastic event and will be there on both the 15th and 16th of April. We look forward to meeting you.

You can find out more at: https://visitscotland.eventsair.com/visitscotlandconnect/