Dalkeith palace is stunning – not so much like a small palace, rather like an incredible old stately manor home. There are three very tall stories with one of those majestic, oversized heavy wooden doors – which I find later are throughout the palace. We ring the bell and Kati comes to greet us with a great surprise beside her – a little shih tzu named Angus! So, we have a palace dog AND, we learned a few minutes later, a palace peacock named Charlie! Charlie seems to live on the rooftop of the house and often shows up outside a window at the top of the grand staircase; I think it must be warm there as Kati says he is often snuggled into that space. 
It’s easy to see that this 18th century home was once an opulent home, part of a grand estate. There are remnants of a time gone by: a 20 foot tall Duke of Wellington statue at the base of the grand staircase, paintings in gilded frames scattered here and there, marble floors and fireplaces throughout, 18-20 foot ceilings, a ballroom, library, etc. But now that it is a living and teaching/learning
space, they have moved out much of the art and furniture and replaced it with second-hand chairs, tables, etc. The Castle was destroyed by the English in 1547. Duchess of Buccleuch re-modelled the old Castle of Dalkeith from 1701, it was deemed the grandest of Scottish Classical Houses. Dalkeith Palace has not been lived in by the Buccleuch family since 1914 and is now a European study centre for the University of Wisconsin USA, accommodating some 80 students at a time.Our room is small as we expected but our windows are two stories high looking out at the front of the palace. We are hoping to get Paul his own room in a night or two. Unpacking one large suitcase, I already imagine that it might be wonderful to live a simpler life for awhile.
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