Yester House (Yester Castle)

Earlier Houses: The ruins of the 13th century Yester Castle (a Scheduled Ancient Monument) are about half-a-mile from Yester House.

Built / Designed For: 2nd Marquess of Tweeddale

House & Family History: The Italian American composer and librettist Gian Carlo Menotti (1911-2007) purchased Yester House in 1972 primarily, he said, because of the superb acoustics of the saloon. Noted for its coved and coffered plaster ceiling, this spectacular room was designed and altered by two generations of the Adam family, Scotland’s premier architects, and is considered one of the great rooms of Scotland. Menotti was the composer of many operas and the founder of the Festival dei Due Mondi (Festival of the Two Worlds), a music, opera, and dance festival held every June in Umbria. Its American cousin, Spoleto Festival USA, was founded by Menotti in 1977 and takes place each spring in Charleston, South Carolina. Menotti is most famous today for his 1951 Christmas opera, "Amahl and the Night Visitors," which he said was inspired by Hieronymus Bosch’s "The Adoration of the Magi" (see "Images" section), a painting that transfixed Menotti during a visit to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Menotti commissioned Quinlan Terry to build an opera house at Yester; sadly, the grand, classical style building was never erected, but concerts were regularly held in the house itself. During these events noted musicians, including Steven Isserlis and Joshua Bell, performed in a house entirely lit by candles. In 1974, Menotti, who was openly gay, adopted Francis "Chip" Phelan, an American actor and figure skater whom he had known since the early 1960s. After Menotti's death Yester was listed for sale with a guide price of £12-15 million. In September of 2010 the guide price was reduced to £8 million; the house was sold in 2015 to Nicola and Gareth Wood for an undisclosed sum.

Collections: Lyon & Turnbull auctioned some contents May 2, 2018.
Garden & Outbuildings: Near the house is the clock tower from Caledonian Station, Edinburgh, which was re-erected here as a folly in the 1970s. Also extant are the gardener's house, the stables, the dairy, Yester Bridge, and the walled garden.
Architect: Robert Rowand Anderson

Date of Birth: Apr 5, 1834
Date of Death: Jun 1, 1921
Nationality: British
Notes: Anderson attended Edinburgh University and worked in the office of John Lessels. He began independent practice in Edinburgh in 1868 and was later in partnership with Alexander Hunter Crawford and Frank Lewis Worthington Simon. He is most famous today for designing the new Mount Stuart House for the 3rd Marquess of Bute.

Date: Late 19th century
Designed: Alterations for 10th Marquess of Tweeddale

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Architect: Jeffry Wyatville (Wyattville) (Wyatt)

Date of Birth: 1766
Date of Death: 1840
Nationality: British
Notes: Wyatville (originally Wyatt) was the son of Joseph Wyatt and trained as an architect in the London office of his uncle, Samuel Wyatt, followed, in 1792, by work with another uncle, the more famous James Wyatt. After 1799 he setup his own practice, and, by the 1820s, was one of the leading English architects. The pinnacle of Wyatville's career was his transformation of Windsor Castle (between 1824 and 1840) for George IV. On Aug 12, 1824 George IV, by royal license, authorized the architect to change his surname from Wyatt to Wyatville. In 1828 Wyatville was knighted.

Date: 1824
Designed: Keeper's Lodge for 8th Marquess of Tweeddale

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Architect: Robert Brown

Date of Birth: ?
Date of Death: Dec 30, 1832
Nationality: British
Notes: Brown was an early 19th century Edinburgh architect who is most notable for laying out a number of estates in Edinburgh's New Town.

Date: 1838-39
Designed: Alterations, including demolition of west pavilion and addition of new porte cochere, for 8th Marquess of Tweeddale.

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Architect: James Smith

Date of Birth: Circa 1645
Date of Death: 1731
Nationality: Scottish

Date: 1699-1728
Designed: House, together with Alexander McGill.

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Architect: Alexander McGill

Date of Birth: 17th century
Date of Death: 1734
Nationality: Scottish
Notes: McGill was a mason and architect who worked in partnership with James Smith. Some of his designs appeared in William Adam's "Vitruvius Scoticus." In Nov 1720 McGill became the first City Architect of Edinburgh.

Date: 1699-1728
Designed: House, together with James Smith.

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Architect: William Adam Sr.

Date of Birth: 1689
Date of Death: 1748
Nationality: Scottish

Date: 1729-33
Designed: Alterations, including roof, pilasters, and attic, for 4th Marquess of Tweeddale.

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Architect: John Adam

Date of Birth: 1721
Date of Death: 1792
Nationality: British
Notes: One of the four Adam brothers, son of William Adam, Sr. John was the business manager of the brothers's architectural firm.

Date: Circa 1758-61
Designed: Great Saloon for 4th Marquess of Tweeddale

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Architect: Robert Adam

Date of Birth: 1728
Date of Death: 1792
Nationality: British
Notes: The prolific Robert Adam was the son of William Adam, Sr., and one of the four Adam brothers. Robert is noted for having "Never once built a great house from scratch," though he was the "it" architect of the 1760s and 70s, with an impressive and aristocratic client list a mile long. The Georgian House, Edinburgh, is considered by many to be Adam's urban masterpiece. Among his finest works are the Library of Kenwood House, London; Culzean Castle, Ayrshire; the Library of Mellerstain House, Scottish Borders; Syon House, London; and Newby Hall in Yorkshire.

Date: 1789-90
Designed: Remodeled North Front for 7th Marquess of Tweeddale

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Vitruvius Scoticus: Adam, W., pls. 25-30, 1810.

Country Life: LXXII, 94, 126, 1932. CLIV, 358 plan, 430, 490, 1973.
Title: Biographical Dictionary of British Architects, 1600-1840, A - SOFTBACK
Author: Colvin, Howard
Year Published: 1995
Reference: pg. 1133
Publisher: New Haven: Yale University Press
ISBN: 0300072074
Book Type: Softback

Title: Biographical Dictionary of British Architects, 1600-1840, A - HARDBACK
Author: Colvin, Howard
Year Published: 2008
Reference: pg. 169
Publisher: New Haven: Yale University Press
ISBN: 9780300125085
Book Type: Hardback
House Listed: Category A

Park Listed: Designated Garden & Designed Landscape
Current Seat / Home of: Nicola and Gareth Wood; here since 2015.

Past Seat / Home of: SEATED AT EARLIER HOUSES: Hugh (Hugo) de Giffard, 12th century. John Hay, 1st Lord Hay of Yester, until 1508; John Hay, 2nd Lord Hay of Yester, 1508-13; John Hay, 3rd Lord Hay of Yester, 1513-43; John Hay, 4th Lord Hay of Yester, 1543-57; William Hay, 5th Lord Hay of Yester, 1557-86; William Hay, 6th Lord Hay of Yester, 1586-91; James Hay, 7th Lord Hay of Yester, 1591-1609; John Hay, 8th Lord Hay of Yester and 1st Earl of Tweeddale, 1609-53; John Hay, 2nd Earl of Tweeddale and 1st Marquess of Tweeddale, 1653-97; John Hay, 2nd Marquess of Tweeddale, 3rd Earl of Tweeddale, 2nd Earl of Gifford, and 2nd Viscount Walden, 1697-1702. SEATED AT CURRENT HOUSE: John Hay, 2nd Marquess of Tweeddale, 3rd Earl of Tweeddale, 2nd Earl of Gifford, and 2nd Viscount Walden, 1702-13; Charles Hay, 3rd Marquess of Tweeddale, 4th Earl of Tweeddale, 3rd Earl of Gifford, and 3rd Viscount Walden, 1713-15; John Hay, 4th Marquess of Tweeddale, 5th Earl of Tweeddale, 4th Earl of Gifford, and 4th Viscount Walden, 1715-62; George Hay, 5th Marquess of Tweeddale, 6th Earl of Tweeddale, 5th Earl of Gifford, and 5th Viscount Walden, 1762-70; George Hay, 6th Marquess of Tweeddale, 7th Earl of Tweeddale, 6th Earl of Gifford, and 6th Viscount Walden, 1770-87; George Hay, 7th Marquess of Tweeddale, 8th Earl of Tweeddale, 7th Earl of Gifford, and 7th Viscount Walden, 1787-1804; George Hay, 8th Marquess of Tweeddale, 9th Earl of Tweeddale, 8th Earl of Gifford, and 8th Viscount Walden, 1804-76; Arthur Hay, 9th Marquess of Tweeddale, 10th Earl of Tweeddale, 9th Earl of Gifford, and 9th Viscount Walden, 1876-78; William Montagu Hay, 10th Marquess of Tweeddale, 11th Earl of Tweeddale, 10th Earl of Gifford, 10th Viscount Walden, and 1st Baron Tweeddale, 1878-1911; William George Montagu Hay, 11th Marquess of Tweeddale, 12th Earl of Tweeddale, 11th Earl of Gifford, 11th Viscount Walden, and 2nd Baron Tweeddale, 1911-67; Hay family here from the 15th century until the late 1960s. Gian Carlo Menotti, 1972-2007; Francis Menotti, 2007-15.

Current Ownership Type: Individual / Family Trust

Primary Current Ownership Use: Private Home

Ownership Details: Available for weddings and events
House Open to Public: By Appointment
Phone: 01620-674-720

Email: events@yesterestate.com

Website: https://www.yesterestate.com/

Historic Houses Member: No

Yester House (Yester Castle)

House, Family & Collections History

Gardens, Outbuildings, Chapel & Church History

Architects

Historic Publications References

Bibliography / Reading List for this House

Listings for House & Park

Families Who’ve Lived Here / Current Ownership Type & Use

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