GRAS at National Trust for Scotland’s Malleny Garden Fair

Earlier this summer, GRAS took part in National Trust for Scotland’s (NTS) Malleny Garden – Plant Fair. This was a community open day at Malleny where NTS members and locals were enjoying its incredible gardens, that were in full flower and fragrance with perfect weather too. This was a plant focused event with local plant nurseries, horticultural organisations, community group stalls along with some food and drink.

John Robson, Project Architect, assisted Ashley Turner of the NTS providing a limited number of guided tours through the Georgian Wing, first and ground floor of the House, highlighting some of the historical features and explaining the investigation works taking place to better understand the building, prior to any conservation works commencing.

GRAS is leading a design team to develop an understanding of the Category A-listed Malleny House. Work is now underway to record the historic fabric, condition survey and inform planned fabric repairs to secure the future of the building. A team including AOC Archaeology have recently undertaken a LiDAR survey of the property both internally and externally from which a 3D model and high-resolution scaled orthographic images and elevational drawings will be produced.

The site has been Listed at Category A since 1971. The property is now surrounded by an area of housing, designated as Balerno Conservation Area. There are also the A-listed Doocot and C-listed Scott Burial Vault nearby.

The earliest documentary evidence of Malleny estate is from around the 1280s. Malleny House was built around 1637 by the then owner Sir James Murray of Kilbaberton, Master of the King’s Works. Elements of an earlier house may have been incorporated into the fabric, which are thought to include the date stone of 1589, located in the kitchen of the present house . The Georgian Wing to the North was added around the 1820s. The date of the Southern range is assumed to be mid-19th Century. It is hoped the project will reveal more about this detail.

Learn more about Malleny Garden or to join the National Trust for Scotland via https://www.nts.org.uk/visit/places/malleny-garden

Images by John Robson
Project team: Dr Stewart Stirling, John Robson, Katherine Thomson and Gabriela Chojnowska
Client: National Trust for Scotland
M&E Engineers: Harley Haddow
Quantity Surveyors: McLeod & Aitken
Archaeology Consultants: AOC Archaeology