Old Photograph Macbiehill House Scotland

Old photograph of Macbiehill House in Tweeddale, Scotland. This Scottish mansion house was built by William Burn in 1835, incorporated parts of an old tower house. It was demolished in the 1950s and nothing now remains. William, born 20 December 1789, died 15 February 1870, was a Scottish architect and pioneer of the Scottish Baronial style. A remarkably talented architect, he received major commissions from the age of 20 until his death at 80, a remarkable 60 years of prominence. He was born in Edinburgh, the son of architect Robert Burn, and educated at the Royal High School. After training with the architect of the British Museum in London, England, Sir Robert Smirke, he returned to Edinburgh in 1812. Here he established a practice from the family builders' yard. In 1841, he took on a pupil, David Bryce, with whom he later went into partnership. From 1844 he worked in London, where he took on his nephew John Macvicar Anderson as a partner. Burn was a true master of many styles, but all are typified by well proportioned simplicity externally and frequent stunning interiors. He died in London and is buried in Kensal Green Cemetery just on the edge of the path to the North West of the central buildings. Blog post of interest to folks with ancestry, genealogy or Scottish Family Roots in Scotland who may wish to visit one day.



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