Portrait painting of man and cover of book

Carrying on up the Nile – 250 years on

Featuring an epic African journey, Return to the Nile is a National Geographic commissioned biopic marking the 50th anniversary of Sir Ranulph Fiennes’s 1969 pan-African odyssey. The film follows the Fiennes cousins, Ranulph and Joseph, as they pursue the former’s footsteps. At Broomhall House memories of a much earlier – and just as ambitious – Nile journey can be found …

supercars in front of country estate

Broomhall House helps to raise £15,000 for the RAF Benevolent Fund

A spectacular two-day event attended by 100 supercars – organised by Driving Scotland and hosted by Broomhall House – has raised more than £15,000 for the RAF’s leading welfare charity, the Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund. Arranged to celebrate the centenary of the Royal Air Force, the event involved the exclusive use of the Forth Road Bridge and a flypast …

antique clock

The clock which was 100 years too early

A marine chronometer developed by Alexander Bruce, 2nd Earl of Kincardine (1629-1680), has just been acquired by the National Museums of Scotland. A world first, Alexander’s sea-going pendulum clock was commissioned from the leading Dutch instrument maker, Severyn Osterwijck (1637-1694) in 1662. Seeking to improve navigation and promote international trade, Alexander collaborated with the Dutch mathematician, Christian Huygens (1629-95), to …

Diplomacy and Discovery: an Imperial Encounter with Japan, 1858

Broomhall House is currently showcasing a fascinating collection of objects and documents which tell the story of Britain’s first substantive diplomatic encounter with Japan – Diplomacy and Discovery: an Imperial Encounter with Japan, 1858.  Appointed as British Minister Plenipotentiary in 1857, James Bruce (8th Earl of Elgin) negotiated a long-lasting treaty (Treaty of Amity and Commerce) in Tokyo (Edo) during …

classic cars and spitfire in front of country estate

Broomhall House host major supercar event for RAF Benevolent Fund

In September (2018) Broomhall House hosted an RAF Benevolent Fund charity event, organised by Mark Ryan of Driving Scotland, as nearly 100 supercars arrived at the Estate, having travelled in convoy across the Forth Road Bridge. Guests were then treated to special private guided tours of the Bruce family home and its internationally important collection while enjoying the hospitality of …

The Bruce family – in business for almost 450 years

Speaking at the annual Family Business United Scottish conference, Lord Bruce explained that the Bruce family can trace its business activities – continuously – for almost 450 years. The origins of the family’s enterprising spirit were revealed in the 1570s when Sir George Bruce sunk the innovative  Moat Pit on the northern shore of the River Forth at Culross, creating …

man in military uniform

Broomhall House and aerial warfare in WW2

Battle of The Forth Although close to Rosyth Naval Base and RAF Pitreavie, Broomhall House was not requisitioned for military use in the Second World War. Instead it served as the HQ of the Lord Lieutenant. The first aerial engagement of WW2 over the British mainland occurred on 16th October 1939 in the skies above Broomhall. Successive raiding parties of …