From their website: “Ardoe House sits on an estate which was part of a 1,000 acre parcel of land gifted to Arbroath Abbey by Alexander II, King of Scotland way back in in 1244. It has been described and divided throughout the centuries as the sunny half and the shady half.
Ardoe House was built by Alexander Milne Ogston, the son of a successful Aberdeen soap and candle manufacturer known locally as ‘Soapie’ Ogston. As well as erecting the fashionable mansion house, he beautified the whole estate with plantations. At the time, taking pride in one’s Scottish roots was exceptionally important, and much of Alexander’s choices for his prized home reflect this.
For instance, the architect he chose was James Matthew, one of the architects behind Drummuir Castle, Aldourie Castle, Ballindalloch Castle, and work on Cawdor Castle. The Scottish Baronial style chosen for Ardoe House was a popular style, first created for a house built for the famous writer, Sir Walter Scott, whose works fired up renewed passion for Scotland.”
~ Bella
