The Building of the 8th Earl of Abercorn's ‘noble villa’ at Duddingston

Abstract

This paper tells the story behind the construction of Duddingston House, designed by Sir William Chambers in 1763 for James Hamilton, 8th Earl of Abercorn. Regular reportsfrom Chambers' clerk of works to the Earl provide a fascinating account of the practical progress of building work – from the acquisition of materials to the employment of craftsmen – on this, the most elegant and expensive of Edinburgh's villae suburbanae.1 (Figure 2.1)