The History of Hoscote

There has been a Hoscote House of some kind on Hoscote Estate since the 1500’s. In 1514 Lord Dacre – who burned all the homesteads in the Borthwick Water – put whatever stood at Hoscote to the torch ‘all every one of them wasted now and no corn sown upon the said grounds’. But Hoscote is a resilient estate and was soon rebuilt and working again, the land changing hands many times over the years until it came under the stewardship of the Stavert family in 1786.

Hoscote House as it stands today was built for John Stavert in 1858 and by 1932 Hoscote Estate had been inherited by Ralph Stavert and his wife, Pearl. It was during the Second World War, whilst Ralph was posted as an engineer working in India, that Pearl found herself in the unexpected situation of being a guest in her own home as Hoscote was tenanted from 1937 by Major John Dunlop and his family. Dunlop was appointed to run Lyle & Scott’s mill in Hawick as an ammunition factory. During this time Pearl returned home to discover that the Lodge’s wrought iron gates and railings had been removed by the authorities for the war effort. In 1978, she commissioned local blacksmiths to produce replacements in memory of Ralph who had died earlier that year.

There were many happy times at Hoscote, in particular during summer holidays in the late 50’s and early 60’s when Pearl would look after the children of friends who worked in India. The house echoed to the noise and laughter of children of all ages, with sometimes more than 20 people around the dining table.

It was in 2000 that for the first time since 1786 the stewardship of Hoscote passed from the Stavert family to the present owners, Duncan & Barbara Arthurs.

The Arthurs have continued the tradition of Hoscote being “the hospitable house” by renting it out for family gatherings, celebrations, holidays, corporate functions and as a wedding venue near Edinburgh. They have also continued the improvements The Stavert family began by making additions to the land, such as a new fishing pond and extensive woodland planting. Internal improvements have also been made to Hoscote House and the Hoscote cottages resulting in Hoscote House being awarded five stars by The Scottish Tourist Board in 2009. Hoscote House is now a very popular wedding venue in Scotland.