Broomhall House features in Scotland Magazine

It was our pleasure to welcome Roddy Martine of Scotland Magazine to Broomhall House, ahead of a special feature on the ancestral home of the Bruce family. The article, appearing in the latest edition of Scotland Magazine, delves into the extraordinary history of our home, exploring what makes it such a sought after experience for international travelers to Scotland. One …

painting of a woman

Notable women of the Bruce Family

Martha Whyte, Countess of Elgin and Kincardine (1741-1818) Married in 1759 at the age of 18 to Charles, 5th Earl of Elgin and 9th Earl of Kincardine, Martha Whyte brought up a family of eight children in 12 years, though only four survived into adulthood. Martha was born in London and orphaned by the age of five. Her father Thomas …

Lord Bruce’s Address to the Haggis

Celebrating the birthday of Scotland’s acclaimed national poet, Robert Burns, Lord Bruce performed the time honoured Address to the Haggis, virtually, by video link for an audience of Canadian international travel buyers. Watch the Address to the Haggis, delivered by him, here.

The Bruce family and the foundation of Canadian identity.

Canada Day has been held as a national holiday on 1st July since 1867 when the country became a federal self-governing dominion within the British empire. In 1965 Canada adopted a new red and white flag with the maple leaf as the iconic symbol of its nationhood.  But the story behind this most recognisable of international flags is closely connected …

VE Day 75th anniversary: The Bruce family and world war (Part 3)

Section Officer Constance Babington-Smith MBE (WAAF/RAF): discovering the Nazis’ weapons of mass destruction Constance Babington-Smith (1912-2000), a grand-daughter of Victor Bruce 9th Earl of Elgin, joined the WAAF in 1939 as an Assistant Section Officer. In 1941 she was posted to the Photographic Reconnaissance Unit (PRU) at RAF Medmenham, where she was later joined by her brother Bernard. The unit …

VE Day 75th anniversary: The Bruce family and world war (Part 2)

Flight Lieutenant Robert Bruce DFC and Bar (RCAF): hunting the V-1 Flying Bomb Born at Inverkeilor in Angus, Robert Bruce (1915-2012) was a great-nephew of Victor Bruce, 9th Earl of Elgin, (grandfather of Constance Babington-Smith). A gifted musician, Robert entered the war as a conscientious objector working with the Friends Ambulance Service during the London Blitz. He was eventually persuaded …

Broomhall House and the world’s most prominent motoring icon (Part Two)

Above: The Bruce family’s 1923 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost Returning from a workshop in Monktonhall where it spent the winter, the Bruce family’s 1923 Silver Ghost is now sporting a pair of very smart period headlamps. This Rolls-Royce fixed head coupe has been kept at Broomhall for over fifty years. Although its body is French – built by the master coachworks, …