This is an eighteenth-century town house in the High Street owned by the National Trust for Scotland, It was the house lived in by E.A. Hornel from 1901 until his death in 1933. Hornel, who came from an old Kirkcudbright family, became a leading member of an important group of Scottish artists known as the ‘Glasgow Boys’. He settled in Kirkcudbright at the height of his fame. By personal contact and reputation he attracted other artists to the town, and so can be seen as the founder of the art colony. Examples of his work, his furniture, china etc are still there as is his extensive library – about 25,000 books and manuscripts, most of them with a Dumfries and Galloway connection.
For many visitors the crowning glory of the property is, however, the garden that backs on to the Dee estuary and still contains many features designed by Hornel himself. A visit to this fascinating house and its tranquil garden makes a compelling reason to visit Kirkcudbright.
