Location

Since 2015, the Festival has been staged at Dumfries House, one of Britain’s most beautiful stately homes. Designed by the Adam brothers, it has a truly outstanding collection of 18th century furniture including fine examples of Thomas Chippendale’s work. It sits elegantly in 2,000 acres of beautiful landscape in Scotland’s rural Ayrshire.

In 2007 HRH The Prince Charles, Duke of Rothesay used £20million of his own charitable foundation money and personally brokered a deal to secure the house and its collection of furniture thus famously saving it for the nation. The idea was to create a sustainable business that would help regenerate the local economy in East Ayrshire. The success of this venture is evident when one visits Dumfries House and its estate where many new local businesses have sprung up in recent years.

The Festival’s own aims are entirely in tune with those of Dumfries House and with the Festival outgrowing its previous home at nearby Auchinleck House, the opportunity to move to Dumfries House presented an obvious and most welcome solution while enabling the Festival to explore and fulfill its creative potential.

Visit the Dumfries House website

Local Attractions

There are many wonderful attractions in the neighbouring area, some of which are listed below:

Barony AFrame

https://www.baronyaframe.org/

Dean Castle

https://www.visitscotland.com/info/see-do/dean-castle-country-park-p293891

Auchinleck House

https://www.landmarktrust.org.uk/search-and-book/properties/auchinleck-house-4834/#Overview

The Boswell Quill in Auchinleck Churchyard

https://jamesboswell.scot

Robert Burns Birthplace Museum

https://www.nts.org.uk/visit/places/robert-burns-birthplace-museum

Culzean Castle

https://www.nts.org.uk/visit/places/culzean