Penicuik Estate

A sleeping beauty awaiting to be kissed awake

In 2021 GROSS. MAX landscape Architects were commissioned by Ed Clerk, son of Sir Robert Clerk, 11th Baronet of Penicuik, to prepare a Landscape Vision for Penicuik Estate comprising of the historic gardens, parkland, outlying woodlands and farmland. Penicuik Estate -one of Scotland’s most significant historic designed landscapes of the eighteenth century- is to embark on an exciting new chapter in its historic development to ensure a viable and sustainable future.

The master plan vision by GROSS. MAX. provides a holistic approach combining aspects of heritage restoration, nature conservation, woodland management, organic agriculture, public access as well exploring new opportunities for hospitality and public engagement. The ambition is to become an inspirational example of environmental stewardship with at its very core the conserved and enhanced historic landscape. Some of the unique aspects of Penicuik Estate are that it has been managed by the Clerk family for nearly half a millennium, it retained its wholeness and authenticity and has an extensive historic record which allows informed interpretation of its past and lessons for its future. The estate has assets and qualities that stretch over hundreds of years of use, spanning multiple natural diverse contexts and encompassing a wealth of social, cultural, political and economic history. Our vision is that the remarkable legacy of the Estate’s past and its unique ‘genius loci’ of the scenic landscape setting will inspire, guide and directs its future transformation.