Orchids at Scone Palace
The many beautiful orchids that adorn the State Rooms at Scone Palace are from Lord Mansfield’s private orchid collection.
This exquisite collection originated from 1971, when the current Earl of Mansfield was given an orchid by his parents as a birthday gift.
In 1981, the Earl of Mansfield relocated his orchid collection when he and his family returned to their home at Scone Palace.
In 1985, the Earl of Mansfield’s consuming passion for orchids was fuelled by the arrival of Peter Timoney, Scone Palace’s head gardener. Mr Timoney was greeted by 150 orchid plants.
In 1990, an orchid was named Phalaenopsis 'Earl of Mansfield' for the occasion of his 60th birthday.
Their shared enthusiasm for orchids led to the construction of a purpose built orchid house in 1991. Two years later, their endeavours were rewarded by the winning of a silver medal for their display, and several 1sts for individual plants, at the World Orchid Conference in Glasgow.
Since 1 January 1986, there have been orchids in flower every day at Scone Palace. The Earl of Mansfield now has the largest private orchid collection in the country, totalling over 1,000 plants.
