Kelso - Floors Castle

Floors Castle lies at the western end of Kelso and enjoys a fine view over the Tweed. This fairy-tale castle topped with small towers, ornate turrets and chimneys was built in Georgian style around 1721 by Robert Adam for the first duke of Roxburghe. Some 120 years later it was extended in decorative Tudor style by William Playfair for the 21-year-old sixth duke.

The gatehouse and the imposing main gates which bear the family coat-of-arms were added in 1929 following the designs of Reginald Fairlie. The entrance to the castle is via an oak-paneled lobby on the north side of the castle. One of Raeburn's portraits depicts the fifth duke of Roxburghe and there are further works by Van de Velde and Ruisdael. Above the fireplace in the Ante-Room hangs a Brussels tapestry with family portraits by Reynolds and Godfrey Kneller alongside.

Duchess May, the American wife of the eighth duke, brought the 17th century Brussels tapestries from Long Island and she furnished the room in Louis XV style. A room in the Palace of Versailles was the model for the Louis XVI-style Needle Room. The Ballroom was also lavishly decorated by Duchess May with 17th century Gobelin tapestries and carvings in Grinling Gibbons style. The valuable collection of porcelain includes Dresden and Meissen ware, Davenport tableware and also items dating from the Chinese Ming dynasty. Portraits are by Gainsborough, Kneller and Reynolds. The Bird Room contains some rare exhibits including great bustards and osprey.

Among the curiosities displayed in the Gallery is a hoard of treasure found buried near Kelso. It was only discovered in 1991 and consists of 1,400 silver and gold coins that probably belonged to a wealthy nobleman ca. 1643. The dining table in the Dining Room is laid with gilded silver cutlery and on the ground floor is a model of the castle made from match sticks and icing. It is also worth having a look at the collection of Victorian coaches, prams and bathing machines, before taking a stroll through the beautiful gardens. One of the trees in the extensive parkland is said to mark the spot where James II was fatally wounded by a bullet during a siege of the castle in 1460.
Home of the Duke and Duchess of Roxburghe, Floors Castle is the largest inhabited castle in Scotland.