Leith Hall Garden & Estate

Written by Chris Thornton | 21st of April 2024
Leith Hall Garden & Estate

Leith Hall has been the ancestral home of the Leith-Hay family since the 1650s. It is a quirky mansion house packed with interesting curios from around the world. This was my first visit to Leith Hall, part of a long weekend of Aberdeenshire road trip I had with my wife in mid-April 2024.

We had just visited Huntly Castle, and Leith Hall was only a 15-minute drive south from there. The drive was very scenic, with rolling hills as far as the eye could see.

The road to Leith Hall.
The long lead-up to Leith Hall.
 
The main view of Leith Hall from near the car park.
Leith Hall looks very picturesque from its entrance road.

Leith Hall Car Park

Leith Hall has a good-sized car park; I didn't see any signs about paying for parking. As we approached the building, signage gave directions and other information about the area. It was a "no drone zone", boooooo.

Leith Hall Car Park
Leith Hall Car Park.
 
The welcome signage at Leith Hall.
Car park signage.

Walking to the hall, the sign guided us to the far side of the building, which has been the main entrance since Victorian times. The toilets can be accessed via what looks like the entrance at the car park side.

Leith Hall upper levels
The upper floor windows of Leith Hall on the west side.
 
Leith Hall south side
Looking at the south wing of Leith Hall.
 
Leith Hall main entrance
The main entrance to Leith Hall.
 
Leith Hall coat of arms
Leith-Hay coat of arms above the main entrance.

After entering Leith Hall, we made our way to the ticket desk. Luckily, we are National Trust for Scotland members, so we could gain free access to the tour. This was a significant saving as it was £15 per person—quite pricy!

The tour wasn't due to start for 45 minutes (tours were available at every half past of the opening hours), so we opted to go for a walk on the estate to kill some time.

Leith Hall Walk

There are two walks available on the estate:

  • The Pond Walk - considered easy and only half a mile.

  • The Craigfall Trail - moderately difficult, over one and a quarter miles. This walk culminates in arriving at the fine Craigfall Viewpoint affording spectacular views.

We opted to take the quick pond trail, which was nice, well-established paths over little bridges past a swampy-looking pond. I bet this spot is great for dragonflies between June and September.

Leith Hall from the pond walk. Woodland and parkland setting.
Looking back at Leith Hall from the pond walk.
 
Leith Hall pond walk. The surrounding hills are beautiful.
The path on the pond walk.
 
Leith Hall ponds.
The beautiful ponds of Leith Hall.
 
Leith Hall forest walk. Mixed woodland.
Forested section of the pond walk.

My wife Janette could hear running water, so we made a short detour from the established path and found this picturesque waterfall amongst the tall pines. It was a very easy walk, highly recommended for all fitness levels.

Leith Hall Waterfall, we saw a bird hide close by.
A lovely waterfall we discovered just off the pond walk.

Leith Hall is famous for its wildlife, which includes Scottish wildcats, kingfishers, otters, teal, and badgers. However, we weren't lucky enough to spot any on our quick walk.

Conscience of the time, we made our way back to the entrance of Leith Hall and waited at the picnic tables until our tour time of 12.30.

Entering Leith Hall

Like all NTS and Historic Scotland sites we've visited, the tour guides are excellent, really enthusiastic, and know their stuff. This tour guide was no different. I didn't catch his name, but he was very knowledgeable, engaging, and open to questions.

Leith Hall changes diagram
At the entrance, this diagram shows Leith Hall over the centuries.

The tour started at the bottom of the staircase, where the guide showed us stuffed boxing squirrels! He explained that squirrels used to be more of a problem than rats, so anyone who brought in a squirrel was rewarded. The boxing squirrels were arranged in fighting poses but had no tails, as that was the proof required to be paid for the squirrel!

The tour progressed upstairs and included many rooms on the second floor, including bedrooms, a dining room, a library, and a music room. It was interesting to hear the history of the Leith Hays connection to Rannas Estate, near my home at Buckie.

After the tour, we were allowed up to the third floor, which contained a military museum packed with interesting items, including uniforms and weaponry.

We made our way back down the spiral staircase and back to the main entrance.

Leith Hall dining room
The dining room.
 
Gold plate at Leith Hall dining room
A very fancy dining plate!
 
Leith Hall spiral staircase
The tour follows this spiral staircase.
 
Leith Hall windows
Lovely windows look out to the gardens.
 
Leith Hall lounge and music room
Lounge/Music room.
 
Leith Hall mantelpiece
One of the many fine mantelpieces.
 
Leith Hall military museum
A section of the military museum.
 
Leith Hall artefacts
Artefacts in a display cabinet, including a pocket telescope!

The Walled Garden

The final area we visited was the walled garden opposite the car park, near the long lead-in road to the house. The garden entrance is flanked by two Pictish stones displayed in recessed alcoves on either side of the gate.

We visited in Spring, so it was not the best time to visit the gardens, but there were still impressive sights like the large rockery with a waterfall and a unique circular gate. Below the bridge was a modern interpretation of a Pictish stone.

I'd really like to revisit the gardens at the height of summer to see everything in full bloom.

Walled garden entrance
Entrance to the walled garden with Pictish stones on either side.
 
The Wolf Stone
The Wolf Stone.
 
Walled garden entrance
The Percylieu Stone.
 
Leith Hall Walled Garden
Entering the gardens.
 
Leith Hall Rockery. The waterfall in the rockery was an attractive focal point.
The large and impressive rockery with water features.
 
Leith Hall Rockery
A "modern" Pictish stone.
 
The walled garden was an impressive finale for our visit.
The gardens were lovely but would be best in summer.
 
Leith Hall Gardens circular gateway. Moon gate. Steep mountains rise behind.
The impressive circular gateway is the "moon gate" to the forest beyond.

The History of Leith Hall

Leith Hall, located in Aberdeenshire, originated as a tower house constructed in 1650 by James Leith, a member of a family previously known primarily in Midlothian. Over time, the estate saw a succession of three lairds named John Leith. The second John Leith married Mary Hay, the daughter of Charles Hay of Rannes, establishing a significant familial link for future generations.

The fifth Laird of Leith Hall was Alexander Leith. When the Hay family of Rannes died out without heirs in the late 1700s, Alexander inherited their estates under the condition that he adopt the Hay surname. Thus, he became Alexander Leith-Hay of Rannes and Leith Hall. This inheritance also enabled him to fund the expansion of Leith Hall in 1797.

During the First World War, Leith Hall served as a hospital for wounded soldiers from Scottish regiments. After the war, the Leith-Hay family returned to the hall. The estate's last laird, Charles Arthur O'Neill Leith-Hay, inherited it in 1939 but died in a road accident while en route to his army regiment later that same year. In 1945, Charles' mother, Henrietta O'Neill Leith-Hay, donated Leith Hall to the National Trust for Scotland.

Leith Hall Ghost Stories

Although the family still uses parts of Leith Hall today, it is reputed to be haunted. Guests in 1968 reported seeing an apparition in their bedroom. Other visitors have heard laughter and festive sounds when no one else was present. The ghost of a man with a bandaged head, believed to be the second John Leith, who was shot and killed on Christmas Day in 1763, has also been sighted. Reports of a Victorian-era woman and a young child appearing as apparitions have added to the hall's eerie lore.

Our tour guide said he had heard some strange things and the other tour guides had seen ghosts.

FAQs on Leith Hall

Here are a few frequently asked questions on Leith Hall.

How to get to Leith Hall

Leith Hall can be accessed via the Old Military Road from multiple directions.

From Huntly:

  1. Leave Huntly by following the A97 south from the ASDA Huntly roundabout.

  2. Remain on the A97 for a reasonable distance until you see a left turn marked with a brown tourism sign.

  3. Follow this road until you see another left turn with the brown tourism sign to Leith Hall. There is a walled entrance and a blue NTS sign at the gate.

From Insch:

  1. Leave Insch travelling west along the B9002.

  2. Remain for a good distance on the B9002 until you see the right turn to the main entrance of Leith Hall.

Note that if you use Google Maps for directions from Insch, they are incorrect.

Leith Hall on Google Maps.
What3words: https://w3w.co/dusters.producers.historic

Is Leith Hall free?

The estate grounds are free to visit, but the guided tour of the hall and the walled gardens require a ticket. Tickets are fairly expensive.

Admission prices:

Adults - £15.
Family ticket - £35.
Single adult families - £28.50.
Concessions - £12.
Those with a young scot card can enter for £1.

National Trust member's entry is free.

Who owns Leith Hall?

Leith Hall was given to the National Trust for Scotland in 1945 by Henrietta Leith Hay.

Can you take the dogs to Leith Hall?

Dogs must be on a lead within the car park and near the hall; no dogs are allowed within the walled garden. When we visited, there were many dog walkers on the estate grounds.

Who lived in Leith Hall?

The Leith-Hay family lived at Leith Hall for almost three centuries.

Key information on Leith Hall

  • Leith Hall is a large mansion house in the Aberdeenshire countryside.

  • The house was built on the site of a much older castle - Peill Castle.

  • Leith House was built in the 1650s.

  • The ancestral home of the Leith-Hay family,

  • Now owned by the National Trust for Scotland, a great tour is available.

  • The house has many interesting items, from stuffed boxing squirrels to turtle shells, swords and flintlock pistols.

  • The two walks on the estate grounds are lovely.

  • Extensive gardens are available to explore as part of your entry ticket.

Leith Hall, east wing/north wing.
View of the main entrance and north wing.

Conclusion

Leith Hall made for a fantastic afternoon out. The grounds were lovely, and the forest walks were very peaceful and relaxing. The guided tour was brilliant, and the house was full of amazing artefacts from the Leith-Hay family's travels around the world.

Next on our road trip itinerary was Dunnideer Castle!

All information was correct at the time of writing, please check things like entry costs and opening times before you arrive.

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