Pinkie House

Pinkie House, Musselburgh
©2022 Gazetteer for Scotland

Pinkie House, Musselburgh

Pinkie House is located in Musselburgh, on the east side of the River Esk. It began as a 16th-century tower and was greatly extended in 1613 by Alexander Seton (1555 - 1622), 1st Earl of Dunfermline. On the death of the 4th Earl of Dunfermline in 1694, the house passed to John Hay (1626-97), 2nd Earl and 1st Marquess of Tweeddale, who made some alterations. Prince Charles Edward Stuart stayed at Pinkie on 31st October, 1745, shortly after the Battle of Prestonpans. Pinkie was sold to the Hope family in 1778, who undertook various additions, including a stable-block by architect John Paterson (c.1800) and some interior modifications, together with a modicum of 'baronialisation' by William Burn (1825).

Inside are some fine rooms, particularly the Long Gallery, with one of the best preserved examples of a tempera ceiling in Scotland. The fine King's Room was built for King Charles I (1600-49), who stayed there when he came north for his coronation (1637).

Since 1951, Pinkie has been a boarding house for Loretto School and in 1971, two further houses (named Seton and Hope) were added in its grounds.


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