Scotland: Dumfries House

In 2007, HRH Prince Charles, The Duke of Rothesay, intervened to save and restore Dumfries House, designed by Robert Adam. The house holds a unique collection of furniture by Thomas Chippendale and leading 18th-century Scottish cabinetmakers. His Royal Highness has developed the 2,000-acre estate as an educational resource and opened it to the public.

The Prince’s School has been invited to contribute to Dumfries House in various ways and will have a permanent, dedicated home on the estate.

The Dumfries House estate makes a perfect setting for teachers and students to engage with the rich educational HARMONY resources developed by the School. These are focused on learning activities inspired by themes that HRH The Prince of Wales explores in his book, 'Harmony: A New Way of Looking at the World'. They integrate learning about Art, Maths, History and Science through close studies of the natural environment with practical, creative activities.

For several years, the School has conducted short workshops on the estate for Ayrshire primary and secondary school students. Close observation of plants and flowers they find in the gardens leads to an exploration of their underlying geometric structures and shapes. Students learn to make pigments from plants and the earth’s minerals and begin to see nature as a wondrous resource deserving protection, and as a source of the highest inspiration.

The School is also collaborating with the Education Centre on the estate to forge closer links between Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and the Arts.

These successful educational programmes have resulted in the Prince’s School being offered a permanent home on the estate. Established with the support of Art Jameel, this new centre will be called The Jameel House of Traditional Arts and Building Skills – Scotland. From here we will host resident artists, deliver residential courses on our Open Programme, and extend our educational programmes for Scotland’s teachers and students.