Scotland - Great houses of Scotland - Hopetoun House - More a Palace than a country house, is located in 100 acres of parkland 2?miles (4 km) west of South Queensferry and 11 miles (18 km) west of Edinburgh. Originally built in 1699 for the Hope family by the architect Sir William Bruce (1630 - 1710) along similar lines to his Kinross House built just a few years earlier. Today Hopetoun remains the Hope family home, in the form of the 4th Marquis of Linlithgow and its apartments are replete with 18th Century furniture and paintings, including works by Canaletto and Gainsborough. Several rooms have silk wall coverings and magnificent rococo coved ceilings. Features from William Bruce's original interior remain, including the panelled main staircase and the Bruce Bedchamber. The Hopetoun House Preservation Trust was created by the 3rd Marquis to maintain the house for future generations, with corporate entertaining ensuring an income stream. - ?TopFoto / Woodmansterne