A tribute to Kathleen Dalyell from House of the Binns

Kathleen Wheatley Dalyell, wife of Tam Dalyell and former Property Manager at the House of the Binns, passed away at the end of 2025. The House of the Binns was gifted to the Trust by the Dalyell family in 1944 under the Country Houses scheme. After marrying Tam Dalyell in 1963, Kathleen lived at House of the Binns for over 60 years and served as Property Manager until the COVID pandemic. 

Anyone who knew her will remember Kathleen as a force of nature. Her knowledge and passion for the House of the Binns, its history and legacy were unsurpassed. She was a passionate and energetic advocate for the history of the Dalyell family, and a determined custodian, keen to ensure that the stories about the people and collections connected to the Binns were preserved and shared. She was a fountain of knowledge, and her powers of recall and memory were incredible.

Many people in the Trust worked alongside Kathleen over the years. Julie Bon, Collections Manager, recalls: ’I thoroughly enjoyed working with Kathleen and getting to know her. She would challenge you to think, and to bring the best of yourself to everything you did. She was warm and welcoming, and always made sure you were looked after with tea and shortbread in the Laigh Hall. As a Conservator I would be reluctant to sit on the furniture and use the tea set, but you always did as you were told by Kathleen! It was important to her that the Binns was presented as a family home – with all the idiosyncrasies and comforts that brings. It was a valuable lesson for me – that there’s more to Trust properties than museum displays of collections. What’s important is the stories and atmosphere that we share with our visitors.’

When I was appointed Visitor Services Manager in 2022, Kathleen was incredibly helpful in sharing details of the practicalities of the house during renovation works prior to reopening to the public in 2023. There was very little that Kathleen hadn’t experienced in her years as Property Manager. Her phrase ’It’s just another day at The Binns!’ certainly helped me put things into perspective when things didn’t necessarily go to plan! She was also an invaluable resource for fact-checking the family history; even relatively obscure details were recalled with clarity. I felt privileged to get to know her and to share conversations over a cup of tea in her kitchen. My memory of Kathleen is of a kind, caring and extremely intelligent woman who was genuinely interested in sharing her knowledge on a myriad of topics.

The House of the Binns also features wonderful landscapes, and Kathleen was just as passionate and informed about them. Colin Wren, Gardens and Designed Landscapes Manager, recollects that Kathleen’s heart was in the landscape; she cared about what was happening across the property, even when her mobility became restricted. Kathleen would often ask about something even though you never saw her out and about, but she knew what was going on. The missing or lost telegraph poles caused one such discussion until they were located, and Kathleen was happy again. Tam and Kathleen were passionate about trees and continued the family tradition of planting them to commemorate special events, with over 25 being planted to mark wedding anniversaries and 30 fruit trees added in the walled garden.

The House of the Binns has lost another of its important residents; Kathleen will be greatly missed by all who knew her, but her hard work and dedication to the House of the Binns have left a lasting legacy for future generations to enjoy.