Sabbatical Post Script #35 (12) Part 1 of Mount Stuart House

Greetings fellow traveller!  And welcome back to my Sabbatical Post Script.  We are embarking on another extended journey together to the seat of the Stuart family in Scotland, called Mount Stuart House.  I want to prepare you for the amount of decadence, extravagance, and excess you're going to witness in the next few weeks on this journey, as it is in stark contrast to the realities we are facing around the globe today.

Is this human made structure incredible? Yes. In it's day, as were many mansions of the time, it was an architectural and engineering marvel.  Is it an unabashed display of white wealth?  Yes.  And with the intensity of poverty, illness, and violence around the globe right now I am aware of the tackiness of highlighting it in this moment.

However, I invite you into that discomfort with me.  I think it is important to sit with our discomfort, allowing it to teach us, to transform us, and inform us.  I believe there is space in all of us to see the beauty of human ingenuity in this place and - at the same time - the ugliness of what human excess and greed has done (and continues to do) to all of Creation.

Shall we begin?

Mount Stuart House is located on the southeastern shore of the Isle of Bute (pronounced: Be-you-t, not B-oo-t, and not B-uh-t), which you can see with the red pin on the map below. (The yellow star is where I was staying for 2 weeks.)

Standing in front of the House, if you simply turn around, you get a stunning view of the water, Great Cumbrae Isle and the mainland of Scotland beyond.  Mount Stuart House sits on 300 acres of land, some of which is manicured, like the lawn you see in the photo.  However, most of the land is maintained forests and paths to walk.

Let's make our way over to the main entrance, on the back of the House, where we will be able to enter and tour the inside of the House.

Here, as we round the northern part of the House you can see the exterior of the family chapel, which is larger than many small churches.

On the right side of this photo you can see a later addition that was built into the House in the early 1900's as I recall.  The addition is where the family, at that time, spent much of their regular days, which is why a private access bridge was built for the family to the chapel.  The white section of building now mostly houses offices of the staff that runs the estate.

Here is the main entrance of the house.  You can see the later addition, again, on the left and the top of the chapel spire beyond it.  Mount Stuart House is a neo-Gothic style construction that was built in the 1800's, which happens to be the same style and period that Grey Towers Castle was built in Glenside, Pennsylvania. 

​ I know this because I am an alumnae of Arcadia University, on the grounds of which Grey Towers stands.  You can find out more about Grey Towers and Arcadia Uni here.

If you look to the right a bit, you can see the whole back of the house.

Can you see the double doors, on the ground level, to the right of the archway? Those are the "everyday" doors used by the family most of the time. The Grand Entrance was only used for special occasions.

I hope this tour of the outside has wet your whistle to see the inside - as there is MUCH to see and explore.

Next week I'll begin by sharing with you the inside of the family chapel.  Until then, be safe, be well!

Blessings on your Journey,
Pastor Emilia