Families searching for a Scottish escape with history, space and plenty of adventure will find it all at Penicuik House, as Harriet Mallinson discovered.
The 18th-century stable block was converted into a plush new home
Escape to Penicuik Estate and the ruins of the old, ravaged house rise from the trees like something out of a gothic novel: all scorched stone and melancholy grandeur. Though, Penicuik House today is anything but gloomy.
It’s here, just south of Edinburgh, that the Clerk family have lived for nearly four centuries. After fire destroyed the original Palladian mansion in 1899, the aristocrats converted the 18th-century stable block – once a working hub of dairies, workshops and hay lofts – into their glam new residence, until the latest in the lineage had other ideas…
Thirty-nine-year-old Ed Clerk, fourteenth generation of the family, tells me when I visit that under his ownership the revamped property is entering a new hospitality era, open for exclusive-use stays, weddings and gatherings, sleeping up to 32 guests across its 11 suites and five doubles.
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The revamped property is entering a new hospitality era
Inside Penicuik House for family stays
During the recent restoration, original beams were strengthened and splashes of bright paint added to guarantee full homely points, while keeping the bones of the old house intact. As well as salvaged architraves, mantels and stonework, there’s also original art and furniture collected by the Clerks on their Grand Tours. Everything from Robert Adam sketches and family portraits (“those two are my great aunts,” nods Clerk, as we pass) to sculptures, swords and curiosities that have been passed down for generations is here. Think Airbnb but with baronial flair.
Although crucially, there’s no tartan overload or dusty formality, just big, airy rooms filled with character and colour. For sprawling families it’s a rare find – part stately home, complete with a clocktower and dovecote, part modern hideaway, with all the comfort of a boutique hotel.
Clerk talks about growing up here — boating and fishing in the high pond, skating on the frozen loch, exploring the ruins with friends – and carrying out key family duties (“I used to fill jugs from the well to water down whisky for my grandfather,” he recalls, grinning) – and it sounds storybook idyllic. Luckily, for holidaymakers, that sense of childhood freedom is exactly what he’s trying to pass on to visiting families now.
Expect big, airy rooms filled with character and colour
Where to stay
Main Penicuik House is ideal for multi-generational groups, with modern comforts and plenty of room for high jinks. Two grand reception rooms can host big family dinners or games nights, while a wood-panelled bar and bright drawing room offer quieter corners to unwind. The cinema room is a standout hit with children — squishy no-need-to-squeeze sofas, a TV screen big enough to frame a Canaletto cityscape and plenty of space for everyone to pile in for film nights.
Outside (providing the fickle Scottish weather plays ball) the Italian-style courtyard comes alive in the evenings with wood-fired grills, pizza oven and fire pits.
On warm nights, families can gather for dinners under the stars — private chefs can be arranged to cook everything from traditional roasts to Argentinian-style asado over an open flame. Also, the nearby Rose Garden doubles as a croquet lawn and drinks terrace, a peaceful spot for kids to perfect their somersaults while adults linger over a glass of wine – and Clerk even has plans to convert the disused dovecote into a whisky snug one day.
Additionally, for smaller family groups, there are beautifully restored cottages dotted around the estate. Stable Park, built in 1873 for the head gardener, sleeps eight across four bedrooms. It’s perfect for families who want a little more privacy, with an open-plan kitchen, log burner, garden terrace and a cedar hot tub for evening stargazing. Two nearby gate lodges can be booked alongside it, so grandparents or friends can join without losing their own space.
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Stable Park comes with a cedar hot tub for evening stargazing
What to do at Penicuik House
Penicuik House is ideal for outdoorsy families. The 3,100-hectare estate has 20 kilometres of walking and cycling trails weaving through woodland and farmland, and families can borrow bikes or try e-mountain biking. Guests curious about the estate’s history can join guided nature and heritage walks to learn about the ruins, the Roman bridge and centuries of rewilding. Hiking too is doable right from the property into the nearby Pentland hills, affording impressive views of the countryside and Edinburgh itself.
Also, children can join foraging sessions and wild-cooking workshops — building fires, toasting their finds and learning the basics of outdoor living — while younger ones can explore nature trails designed to encourage screen-free fun.
On warm days, the high pond is the spot for wild swimming, and there are plans for a floating sauna soon. Red admirals and bumblebees hover over the wildflowers during my late summer stay, and it’s easy to forget you’re only half an hour from Edinburgh. Guests can also book yoga sessions, spa treatments, guided nature walks, whisky tastings (well, maybe just for the adults), stargazing tours and even breathwork or cold-water therapy classes. Although one wonders what the nobles of old would make of all this.
Although, if the weather keeps everyone indoors, there’s plenty of cosy fun to be had. That cinema room is a family favourite, and the house is well stocked with board games. For younger kids, the thrill of exploring staircases, alcoves and hidden corners delivers its own hide-and-seek kicks; or maybe just cosy up by the roaring fire to tell stories while grandad nods off…
The high pond is the spot for wild swimming
What’s coming next
However, the revival of Penicuik House is far from finished. The team are now working on a collection of treehouses tucked into the estate’s woodland — eco builds designed for couples and small families. Each will have sweeping views through the trees, with options for bunk beds or second bedrooms.
Although Ed says, the aim is to keep numbers low and nature at the heart of it all. A new glass orangery is also planned for weddings and events, which will help extend the estate’s season year-round.
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The cinema room is a family favourite
Why families will love Penicuik House
Penicuik House has oodles of charm – all the joy of a stately home sojourn without any of the Downton-esque stuffiness. There’s no pressure to dress up or stick to a schedule — just space to slow down and connect.
Children can race across lawns, climb fallen trees and come back rosy-cheeked from adventure. Meanwhile, parents and grandparents can cook together, sit by the fire or hand dinner over to a chef, relishing the warmth and informality of a family home without any of the grind.
Beware, though, the gothic hasn’t been ditched completely: Clerk could neither confirm nor deny rumours of ghosts wafting around the old ruins…
Make It Happen
How to get there
Direct flights to Edinburgh, various UK airports, from 1 hour, 5 minutes
Edinburgh Airport to Penicuik House, from 25 minutes
Waverley Station, Edinburgh to Penicuik House, from 35 minutes
Where to stay
Stable Park, 4-Bedroom Cottage (sleeps up to 8) from £500 per night. Minimum 2-night stay.
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