Author: SCOTT (Robert) Engraver.
Title: [Views of Scottish Country Houses, Scenery, etc.]
Description: [N.p., late 1790s]. Oblong small 4to (180 x 240 mm), [12]ff. of letter-press text, 10 (ex 12?) engraved plates, four further engraved views of Scottish country houses by Scott, from drawings by Alexander Carse and by Andrew Wilson bound in at end, intermittent browning or spotting, large dampmarks affecting front free endpaper and first engraved plate, smaller dampmarks effecting plates 3 and 4 and the inner blank corner of the final five plates, contemporary quarter calf, chipped at head and foot of spine, front board holding by cords, joints and corners rubbed. "A volume of rare engraved views of Scottish country houses, castles, scenery and so on, by the Edinburgh-based engraver Robert Scott (1777-1841), father of the artists David Scott and William Bell Scott. The main ingredient of the volume is a suite which seems originally to have comprised twelve engraved plates, each with an accompanying leaf of printed text. The plates present in the volume, from drawing by C. Cooper, J. Denholm and F. Dick (one dated 1794, two dated 1798), provide perspective views of the following subjects: Aqueduct Bridge over the River Kelvin; Luss (country house of Sir James Colquhoun); Glasgow Cathedral; Dalhousie Castle; Cathcart Castle, and villa of Cartside; Lee (country house of the Lockhart family); Pennycuick House; Stonebyres (country house of the Vere family); Craigmiller Castle; and Castle Huntley. Plates of Melrose Abbey and Pollock House, described in text leaves, are absent. These are accompanied by engraved perspective views from drawings by Carse and Wilson, of Newbattle House, Hopetoun House, Edinburgh from the North West and Craigie Hall Bridge, presumably from a suite entitled Views of Seats and Scenery chiefly in the Environs of Edinburgh, published in 1795-6 (two of the plates carry 1796 dates). Although neither suite is complete and some engravings have old dampstains, we have not been able to find mention of the principal suite in any obvious work of reference - which is unexpected, for it incorporates printed text and should thus be held in libraries as well as in print collections - and we offer the volume as it is, in the hope that it will find a suitable home."—Hugh Pagan description pasted onto front endpaper. Provenance: Formerly in the library at Prestonfield House, Midlothian, with ink inscription "Prestonfield" on front-free endpaper; the library of Josceline Grove, with bookplate and their typed catalogue description pasted to front endpapers.

Keywords: COUNTRY HOUSE SCOTLAND