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 …
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.
Die Luftschlacht um England – the Battle of Britain eighty years on. A Bruce family recollection
On 10th July 1940 the Luftwaffe unleashed the first of many bombing raids on the British mainland. It was the first major military campaign fought entirely by air forces. The battle in the skies over the south of England lasted for 112 days until 31st October when finally the Luftwaffe admitted defeat having lost 1,887 planes and 2,662 aircrew. However, …
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 …
A Near Run Thing? The Battle of Bannockburn revisited
The Bruce family has been at the centre of national events in Scotland for over 700 years. Without doubt King Robert the Bruce’s victory over an army led by King Edward II of England, at Bannockburn on 23rd June 1314, is the most notable. Although Robert’s military success was outstanding, he had to endure a further 14 years of war …
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 …
VE Day 75th anniversary: The Bruce family and world war (Part 1)
Andrew Bruce (11th Earl of Elgin) and the Normandy break-out, July/August 1944. Although aged only fifteen when Britain declared war, 96 year old Andrew Bruce ( 11th Earl of Elgin) is one of the few surviving witnesses to the first air battle fought over the British mainland – the Battle of the Forth – which occurred on 16th October 1939. …
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, …