The Entrance Hall

The Castle is entered through Playfair's porte cochere on the North Front, up a flight of stone steps and into the Entrance Hall, an oak-panelled room containing some important pictures and furniture. The ceiling and fireplace of this room are attributed to William Adam.

The painting which dominates the Hall is the huge portrait by Sir Henry Raeburn of Sir James Innes Ker, 5th Duke of Roxburghe, the successful claimant in the Roxburghe Peerage Case. To the left of this portrait is a hunting scene by L. Van Uden and a view of Burley-on-the-Hill, Rutland by Peter Tillemans. This house was built by Daniel Finch, 2nd Earl of Nottingham, whose daughter, Lady Mary Finch, married the 1st Duke of Roxburghe and the picture, together with the painting of Eastwell Park, Kent (another Finch property) came into the family with this marriage.

Other pictures include a seascape in the style of Van de Velde; a view ofthe Church of Santa Maria della Salute from the school of Canaletto; a rocky river scene by Jacob Ruysdael; Broxmouth Park near Dunbar the former dower house of the Roxburghe family by William Wilson; a portrait of the 9th Duke by Norman Hepple pictured standing beside the painting of Kelso by William Wilson (who also painted the view of Melrose Abbey) and above the fireplace the well-known painting by Hendrick Danckerts of Charles II walking in Horse Guards Parade. In the background can be seen the banqueting hall in Whitehall built during the reign of Charles I and which still stands today.

The furniture includes two Regency kingwood commodes and a writing table of Louis XV design. The armchairs, also in Louis XV style are covered with Beauvais tapestry depicting scenes from Aesop's Fables.