Plans for Geilston House progress

The £2.5 million project will involve extensive repairs and refurbishment to the house, which is set in the beautiful Geilston Garden.

The house will be brought back into use as part of the Trust’s portfolio of holiday accommodation. There will also be some space for small-scale events and exhibitions.

Ian McLelland, the Trust’s Regional Director South & West, said: ’I am sure many people will be pleased to hear that this project to repair and refurbish Geilston House will now progress at pace.

There is a lot of work needed to ensure that the house is presented to the high standard that is required for holiday accommodation these days, and we expect the works to take around 12 months. The garden will follow its usual opening hours while the work is underway.

’As you would expect, we are taking great care to ensure that as much historic fabric as possible is being retained as part of the refurbishment and that the different phases of building development are visible.

’Where we are having to make more significant changes, these are to make safety improvements to the building, and we will still try to be as sympathetic as we can to the house and how it has developed over the years.’

Chris Moore, Chair of the Friends of Geilston, welcomed the Trust’s commitment to invest in the refurbishment of the house and bring it back to life. He said: ’The group has been campaigning for some time to restore the house so it can contribute to the long-term future of the garden. We look forward to the next stage of the project. We also appreciate the designation of space within the plans for community use and will work with the Trust to achieve a good functional resource within the plans for the house.’

Geilston House and Garden have been in the care of the Trust since 1989, and the house has been uninhabited since 1997. Geilston Garden is typical of the small country estates on the banks of the Clyde and has offered a tranquil haven for over 200 years. It is celebrated for its landscaping, which harmonises nature and cultivation. At the centre is the walled garden, dating back to 1797, dominated by a mammoth Wellingtonia tree. It welcomes around 14,000 visitors annually and has recently featured in the Apple TV+ series The Buccaneers. The garden closes to visitors on 31 October and reopens in March 2026.