Cambo Estate
Encyclopedia
Cambo Estate lies close to the village of Kingsbarns
in north-east Fife
, Scotland
. It is located in the East Neuk
, 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) south-east of St Andrews
. At the heart of the estate lies the 19th-century Cambo House, the home of Sir Peter Erskine, Bt.
and Lady Catherine Erskine. The gardens of Cambo are open to the public, and include the walled garden
and seasonal snowdrop
gardens. Elsewhere on the estate is the Kingsbarns Links golf course, which co-hosts the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship every year.
. His descendents took the name "de Cambhou", and had settled in Fife by the early 14th century. Sir John de Cambhou fought at the Battle of Methven
(1306), but was captured by the English and hanged at Newcastle
. In 1599 the estate was granted to Thomas Myretoun.
In 1668, Sir Charles Erskine, Bt.
(d. 1677), the Lord Lyon King of Arms
and brother of the 3rd Earl of Kellie
, purchased the property from the creditors of Patrick Merton. The estate passed through the Erskine family to the 5th Earl of Kellie
, who forfeited his lands after supporting the Jacobite rising of 1745
. In 1759 Cambo was sold to the Charteris
family, who bought it for their son who was studying at St Andrews University.
Thomas Erskine, 9th Earl of Kellie (c. 1745–1828), bought the estate back in the 1790s. A successful merchant in Sweden, he invested heavily in improving the estate, building the picturesque Georgian
estate farms, and carrying out extensive land drainage. He commissioned the architect Robert Balfour to remodel the house in 1795. His descendents continued the improvement of the estate through the 19th century, laying out ornamental gerdens, with a series of early cast iron
bridges.
The old house comprised a tower house
with numerous additions, including a first-floor conservatory
. It was destroyed by fire in 1878, after a staff party when the Erskine family was away. The present house was built on the same site between 1879 and 1884, to designs by the architects Wardrop & Reid.
, the national listing of historic gardens. The house is operated as self-catering and bed & breakfast accommodation, while the walled garden and woodland gardens are open to the public year-round. The estate woodlands have a significant collection of snowdrop
s, including over 300 varieties of Galanthus species. The estate was awarded National Collection
status by the National Council for the Conservation of Plants and Gardens
.
Kingsbarns Golf Links was laid out in 2000 to designs by American golf course architects Kyle Phillips and Mark Parsinen. The Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, an annual pro-am golf tournament, is played in October at Kingsbarns, St Andrews Old Course
, and Carnoustie
.
Kingsbarns
The village of Kingsbarns lies on eastern coast of Fife, Scotland, in an area known as the East Neuk, 6.5 miles southeast of St Andrews and 3.6 miles north of Crail....
in north-east Fife
Fife
Fife is a council area and former county of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries to Perth and Kinross and Clackmannanshire...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. It is located in the East Neuk
East Neuk
The East Neuk or East Neuk of Fife is an area of the coast of Fife, Scotland, which is geographically ill-defined but nonetheless stirs local passions....
, 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) south-east of St Andrews
St Andrews
St Andrews is a university town and former royal burgh on the east coast of Fife in Scotland. The town is named after Saint Andrew the Apostle.St Andrews has a population of 16,680, making this the fifth largest settlement in Fife....
. At the heart of the estate lies the 19th-century Cambo House, the home of Sir Peter Erskine, Bt.
Erskine Baronets
There have been five Baronetcies created for person with the surname Erskine, two in the Baronetage of Nova Scotia, one in the Baronetage of Great Britain and two in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom...
and Lady Catherine Erskine. The gardens of Cambo are open to the public, and include the walled garden
Walled garden
A walled garden is specifically a garden enclosed by high walls for horticultural rather than security purposes, though traditionally all gardens have been hedged about or walled for protection from animal or human intruders...
and seasonal snowdrop
Snowdrop
Galanthus is a small genus of about 20 species of bulbous herbaceous plants in the Amaryllis family, subfamily Amaryllidoideae...
gardens. Elsewhere on the estate is the Kingsbarns Links golf course, which co-hosts the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship every year.
History
The estate of Cambo was granted to Robert de Newenham by a charter of King William the LionWilliam I of Scotland
William the Lion , sometimes styled William I, also known by the nickname Garbh, "the Rough", reigned as King of the Scots from 1165 to 1214...
. His descendents took the name "de Cambhou", and had settled in Fife by the early 14th century. Sir John de Cambhou fought at the Battle of Methven
Battle of Methven
The Battle of Methven took place at Methven in Scotland in 1306, during the Wars of Scottish Independence.-Comyn's Death:In February 1306, Robert Bruce and a small party of his followers killed John Comyn, also known as the Red Comyn, before the high altar of the Greyfriars Church in Dumfries...
(1306), but was captured by the English and hanged at Newcastle
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
. In 1599 the estate was granted to Thomas Myretoun.
In 1668, Sir Charles Erskine, Bt.
Erskine Baronets
There have been five Baronetcies created for person with the surname Erskine, two in the Baronetage of Nova Scotia, one in the Baronetage of Great Britain and two in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom...
(d. 1677), the Lord Lyon King of Arms
Lord Lyon King of Arms
The Lord Lyon King of Arms, the head of Lyon Court, is the most junior of the Great Officers of State in Scotland and is the Scottish official with responsibility for regulating heraldry in that country, issuing new grants of arms, and serving as the judge of the Court of the Lord Lyon, the oldest...
and brother of the 3rd Earl of Kellie
Alexander Erskine, 3rd Earl of Kellie
-Biography:Alexander Erskine inherited the title after the death of his brother Thomas in 1643.The earl was a staunch Royalist, fighting as Colonel of Foot for Fife and Kinross and in 1648 was involved in an attempt to rescue the King...
, purchased the property from the creditors of Patrick Merton. The estate passed through the Erskine family to the 5th Earl of Kellie
Earl of Kellie
The title Earl of Kellie or Kelly is one of the peerage titles of in the Peerage of Scotland, created in 1619 for Sir Thomas Erskine, who was Captain of the Guard and Groom of the Stool for James VI...
, who forfeited his lands after supporting the Jacobite rising of 1745
Jacobite Rising of 1745
The Jacobite rising of 1745, often referred to as "The 'Forty-Five," was the attempt by Charles Edward Stuart to regain the British throne for the exiled House of Stuart. The rising occurred during the War of the Austrian Succession when most of the British Army was on the European continent...
. In 1759 Cambo was sold to the Charteris
Charteris
Charteris is a surname. It may refer to:* Ann Charteris , wife of British author Ian Fleming* Archibald Hamilton Charteris , Scottish theologian, founder of Life and Work magazine* David Charteris, 12th Earl of Wemyss Charteris is a surname. It may refer to:* Ann Charteris (1913-1981), wife of...
family, who bought it for their son who was studying at St Andrews University.
Thomas Erskine, 9th Earl of Kellie (c. 1745–1828), bought the estate back in the 1790s. A successful merchant in Sweden, he invested heavily in improving the estate, building the picturesque Georgian
Georgian era
The Georgian era is a period of British history which takes its name from, and is normally defined as spanning the reigns of, the first four Hanoverian kings of Great Britain : George I, George II, George III and George IV...
estate farms, and carrying out extensive land drainage. He commissioned the architect Robert Balfour to remodel the house in 1795. His descendents continued the improvement of the estate through the 19th century, laying out ornamental gerdens, with a series of early cast iron
Cast iron
Cast iron is derived from pig iron, and while it usually refers to gray iron, it also identifies a large group of ferrous alloys which solidify with a eutectic. The color of a fractured surface can be used to identify an alloy. White cast iron is named after its white surface when fractured, due...
bridges.
The old house comprised a tower house
Tower house
A tower house is a particular type of stone structure, built for defensive purposes as well as habitation.-History:Tower houses began to appear in the Middle Ages, especially in mountain or limited access areas, in order to command and defend strategic points with reduced forces...
with numerous additions, including a first-floor conservatory
Conservatory
Conservatory may refer to the following:*Conservatory , a large, highly detailed residential solarium or a greenhouse where plants are cultivated*Music school or a school devoted to other arts such as dance...
. It was destroyed by fire in 1878, after a staff party when the Erskine family was away. The present house was built on the same site between 1879 and 1884, to designs by the architects Wardrop & Reid.
The estate
Cambo House is protected as a category B listed building,, and the grounds are included in the Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes in ScotlandInventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes in Scotland
The Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes in Scotland is a listing of gardens and designed landscapes of national artistic and/or historical significance, in Scotland. The Inventory was originally compiled in 1987, although it is a continually evolving list...
, the national listing of historic gardens. The house is operated as self-catering and bed & breakfast accommodation, while the walled garden and woodland gardens are open to the public year-round. The estate woodlands have a significant collection of snowdrop
Snowdrop
Galanthus is a small genus of about 20 species of bulbous herbaceous plants in the Amaryllis family, subfamily Amaryllidoideae...
s, including over 300 varieties of Galanthus species. The estate was awarded National Collection
NCCPG National Plant Collection
The NCCPG National Plant Collection scheme is the main conservation vehicle whereby the National Council for the Conservation of Plants and Gardens can accomplish its mission: to conserve, grow, propagate, document and make available the resource of garden plants that exists in the United...
status by the National Council for the Conservation of Plants and Gardens
National Council for the Conservation of Plants and Gardens
The National Council for the Conservation of Plants and Gardens , also known as Plant Heritage, is a botanical conservation organisation in the United Kingdom and a registered charity. It was founded in 1978 to combine the talents of botanists, horticulturalists and conservationists with the...
.
Kingsbarns Golf Links was laid out in 2000 to designs by American golf course architects Kyle Phillips and Mark Parsinen. The Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, an annual pro-am golf tournament, is played in October at Kingsbarns, St Andrews Old Course
Old Course at St Andrews
The Old Course at St Andrews is the oldest golf course in the world. The Old Course is a public course over common land in St Andrews, Fife, Scotland and is held in trust by The St Andrews Links Trust under an act of Parliament...
, and Carnoustie
Carnoustie Golf Links
The Carnoustie Golf Links are in Carnoustie, Angus, Scotland. Its historic championship golf course is one of the venues in the Open Championship rotation.-History:...
.