
The Hill House
With a National Art Pass you get
Scotland's most famous architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh created the Hill House for publisher Walter Blackie and his family in 1902-4.
The Hill House is currently closed for refurbishment
Mackintosh was responsible not only for the building but also for its interior decoration, on which he collaborated with his wife Margaret Macdonald. He persuaded Blackie to jettison most of his existing furniture so he could create a perfect work of art, in which every last detail, down to the light fittings, formed part of a harmonious whole. The Blackie family lived in the house until the National Trust took it over in 1982, and it retains the feel of a family home.
Seen from the outside, the house looks like a marriage of Scottish Baronial and Modernism. The stark grey roughcast walls of the exterior hardly prepare you for the lightness and elegance within.
Look out for The Wild Escape at museums and galleries in the next few months. Many have special events, or you can use our audio introduction to help children get involved at any cultural venue.
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The National Art Pass lets you enjoy free entry to hundreds of museums, galleries and historic places across the UK, while raising money to support them.