Archive
Join us for our annual Halloween Trail!
Trail sheets are £4 per each and can be shared if desired! Pop into our shop to collect your trail sheet and map. All adults will need a grounds ticket (daily ticket is £7.50/adult or our annual pass is £20/ adult or £35 for couples).
Dogs on leads welcome, please wear suitable clothing and shoes for the great outdoors.
Long ago, Paxton House welcomed a curious guest — an alchemist who loved to experiment with strange mixtures. He filled shelves with glowing bottles, each containing a different potion: some for courage, some for invisibility, some so powerful they had to be hidden away.
One stormy night, the alchemist vanished without a trace, leaving only his bottles behind. But beware! If the wrong potions are mixed, strange things happen — doors slam, windows rattle, and whispers echo through the halls.
It’s said the alchemist’s ghost still searches for the missing bottles, desperate to finish his final brew. Tonight, you may see them sparkle in the candlelight… but will you be brave enough to discover what’s inside?
Join us in October for some spooky potion making and magic wand creating!
£13.00 per child to include all resources, fancy dress always encouraged but not essential!
Most suitable for ages 5 and over but all welcome (parent or guardian must be present at all times) toy station and colouring in available FOC for younger siblings
Please wear clothes you don’t mind getting wet/dirty
Join us in October for some spooky potion making and magic wand creating!
£13.00 per child to include all resources, fancy dress always encouraged but not essential!
Most suitable for ages 5 and over but all welcome (parent or guardian must be present at all times) toy station and colouring in available FOC for younger siblings
Please wear clothes you don’t mind getting wet/dirty
Join us for our annual singsong in the house with a service led by our good friend Ali Birkett on Sunday 20th December at 6pm.
Entry by donation and includes refreshments, all welcome!
Paxton House is family friendly, fun, and full of treasures including a nationally significant collection of Chippendale and Trotter furniture and masterpieces from the National Galleries of Scotland. Everyone is welcome and there is something for all ages.
The House
– Come and enjoy a chance to explore this exquisite 18th century country house at your own pace.
– Information boards give visitors an insight into the lives of those who have lived in Paxton House from the date it was built in 1763.
– Enjoy seeing the different rooms, including the dining room, drawing room, library and stunning ballroom with beautiful decorative schemes designed by Robert Adam.
– Rare and nationally important furniture including Scotland’s largest collection of Thomas Chippendale furniture and an outstanding collection by Scotland’s leading 19th century cabinet maker, William Trotter. – The collection of Chippendale and Trotter furniture, and their associated archives, have been recognised by Museums Galleries Scotland on behalf of the Scottish Government.
– There are over seventy Scottish related paintings displayed throughout the House, dating from the 18th century to 1960 lent by our partner The National Galleries of Scotland including work by Sir David Wilkie, – – William McTaggart, the Scottish colourists and Anne Redpath.
– Paintings by Scottish Masters including Allan Ramsay, Sir Henry Raeburn, Alexander Nasmyth and David Martin can be viewed in the house alongside European works by Francesco Fidanza, Rosalba Carriera, and Antonio del Massaro da Viterbo.
– Our Paxton Ted Trail runs throughout the house, keeping kiddies busy trying to spot bears in each room!
– Learn more about Paxton House and its rich history with a tour of all the principle rooms, explore 80 acres of grounds, gardens, riverside and woodland, including an adventure play park complete with zip wire and den building area as well as scenic boat trips down the River Tweed. Treat yourself with an indulgent afternoon tea or light lunch in the Stables Tearoom and a trip to our Gift Shop to pick up some local produce.
#The Grounds
– The extensive grounds of Paxton House can lead to different adventures every time you visit, we have seasonal children’s trail running throughout the year
– 80 acres of woodland, riverside scenery and herbaceous borders surround the house including beautiful walks and woodland trails, with great views of The Union Chain Bridge.
– Your dog is welcome as well we just ask that you keep it on a lead
#The River
– People have fished from the land where Paxton House stands for centuries and since the house was built the fishing rights have belonged to the estate.
– At Paxton net fishing is now carried out using the traditional wooden coble boat.
– The original Boat House has been carefully restored from Victorian plans and is a charming venue for private hire and weddings.
Back for 2026, enjoy a truly magical festive experience for the whole family in our beautiful Georgian house, meet & greet Father Christmas and his Elf, receive a gift and get into the Christmas spirit!
Lots of wonderful photo opportunities.
Suitable for ages 12 and under (including babies)
Up to three children are permitted per time slot with an unlimited number of adults.
Price per child includes an age appropriate gift, personalised letter from Santa, making a packet of reindeer food and a kids hot chocolate in the Stables Tearoom!
This lecture examines the transformation of Grenada in the south-east Caribbean following its cession from France to Great Britain under the Treaty of Paris in 1763. The Ceded Islands were the largest territory gains for the British Empire in the eighteenth century and opened up the first opportunities for Scots after the Union of 1707 to settler-colonise in the West Indies. From this period until the abolition of plantation slavery in the British West Indies in 1834, Scots became disproportionately influential in the island’s development. They acquired plantations and invested capital, thus integrating the colony into Scotland’s mercantile networks based upon Atlantic commerce and chattel slavery.
This lecture draws upon research in plantation records, merchant correspondence, and colonial archives in Scotland, England and Grenada undertaken for the monograph The Glasgow Sugar Aristocracy: Scotland and Caribbean Slavery, 1775-1838 (2022). Examining the crucial role played by Scottish merchants, planters, and administrators in reshaping the island’s economy and society, particular attention will be paid to Ninian Home (1732 – 1795). The proprietor of Paxton House exemplified the early Scottish settler-colonisers who helped transform the island into a major sugar and cotton economy sustained by enslaved people.
Many other Scots also repatriated slavery-derived fortunes up to 1834 and beyond, which helped reshape the Scottish economy and society notably through philanthropic initiatives. Thus, Grenada will be considered as a case study of Scottish imperial engagement, demonstrating how a small Caribbean island underpinned Scotland’s transformation. Ultimately, the lecture reassesses Grenada’s place within both the history of Scotland’s global Empire and the making of the British Atlantic world.
Dr Stephen Mullen is Lecturer in History (Legacies of Atlantic Slavery) at the University of Glasgow
Join us for our festive extravaganza, two days of festive fun and Christmas spirit!
Sat 5th and Sun 6th December 2026
10:00am – 3:00pm daily
Adults £4, children under 16 FOC
See our beautiful Georgian house decorated for the season with two magnificent Christmas Trees, browse our huge selection of local stall holders selling a range of wonderful gifts, enjoy roaring fires and live music, visit the Pet Parlour in our Georgian Kitchen, enjoy a turkey roll and hot chocolate in our Tearoom and a walk around our 80 acres of lovely grounds!
Join us for a festive wreath making session in our magical picture gallery using foliage gathered from our 80 acre estate.
Local expert florist Jemma from Occasions of Eyemouth will be on hand to demonstrate and guide.
£36 per person, all materials included as well as unlimited tea and coffee and a festive treat table!
Suitable for ages 16 and over.
Join us for an opportunity to learn more about the Home family – Owners of Paxton House from 1758 to 1998
There will be no Child Friendly Tour running on this day for the Magic Faraway Tree Museum Adventure. This tour is not included in the ‘Children go Free in August’ promotion.
