Lord Elgin

Broomhall House Newsletter January 2024

Our latest newsletter features details  about one of the most significant events held at Broomhall – the annual reunion for the Scots Guards Association – involved over 750 people and the appearance of HRH Duke of Kent. Indeed we have continued to raise funds for military veterans and hosted another successful car and aerospace event, The Scottish Torque Show, in aid …

The Battle of Byland – King Robert’s forgotten victory

On 14 October 1322, a Scottish army commanded by King Robert the Bruce won a spectacular victory on the heights of Sutton Bank in North Yorkshire, overwhelming their English foes, who thought by commanding the high ground that they would be impregnable from attack. Instead, the Scots outflanked the English and their cavalry, under the command of Walter Stewart, and …

statue inside monument

Tales of a Grandfather: the Bruce family and Sir Walter Scott. Commemorating the 250th anniversary of the birth of Sir Walter Scott, 15th August 1771.

Among the collection of nineteenth century novels in the library at Broomhall House are three shelves of early editions of works by Sir Walter Scott (1771-1832). As a writer of historical fiction Scott became the foremost literary figure of his era. Publishing 27 novels over a span of 30 years, he became the first author to enjoy a truly international …

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 …