Education & Rangering

Hopetoun House is an excellent educational resource for life-long learning.

With a range of activity based workshops, activities and events suitable for a wide variety of groups from nursery, primary and secondary schools to students of further education, special interest groups and the general public.

Our experienced Education and Rangering Team work closely in the delivery of these activities and great pains are taken to ensure that all involved have a thoroughly good time. We can boast first class facilities with a dedicated Education Room and several rooms that can be booked for study visits. There is plenty of space for groups both large and small with ample free coach and car parking.

The Education Team

The Education Team welcomes groups of all ages from nursery to tertiary education. Visits can be tailor made and for younger children can include games, costume and drama or, for older groups could be based on fine art, 18th Century Furniture, architecture or gardens. Additionally, the Hopetoun Archive, probably the most complete family archive in Britain, is accessible by older groups and/or individuals by prior arrangement for detailed studies. Please contact us to discuss your requirements.

For schools, specific visit programmes linked to the 5-15 curriculum are available. Most workshops involve activities within the House with drama, costume and role play as standard while the environmental elements involve both indoor activities and forays into the extensive parkland. All workshops are suitable for Primary One to Primary Seven and are led by our Education and Rangering team. If required, elements from different workshops can be tailored to create an individual workshop for your pupils - please contact us for further details.

The Ranger Service

As well as being heavily involved in the Education Programme, the Ranger provides an exciting range of formal and informal events that explore the Hopetoun Parkland and the wider environment. Throughout the visitor season walks, talks, events and activities suitable for all ages and abilities take place (see the Events Calendar for details).

The Ranger Service welcomes any group that wishes to visit the Grounds, and will happily meet and lead walking groups, Beavers, Cubs, Scouts, Brownies or Guides, Youth Groups, Special Interest Groups or Holiday Groups. The Ranger Service welcomes the help of voluntary groups to assist with specific projects to ensure the Grounds are suitably maintained and to conserve the environmentally, culturally and historically important Parkland for future generations to enjoy.

The Young Hopetoun Club

The Young ‘Hopies’ meet on the second Saturday of each month, from September to June each year. Aimed at children between the ages of 8 and 12, the Club offers a wide range of varied activities involving arts, crafts, drama and environmental studies under the supervision of the Education Team and the Ranger Service. As well as the ever popular ‘Be a Guide for a Day’, members can also participate in larger Hopetoun events such as the Easter Day, the Summer Fair and the Victorian Day and the annual ‘Final Fling’ Bar-B-Que in June provides a popular close to the year's activities. See the Events Calendar for details of meetings and activities of the Club. Or contact us for further information.

Indoor Education for Schools

We offer 3 full day Indoor Workshops that relate to the 5-14 Curriculum. These are:

• Homes and Houses (groups up to 60 pupils)
• Victorian Workshop (up to 33 pupils)
• Victorians at Hopetoun (between 33 and 66 pupils)

Curriculum areas covered:

• Comparison between Past and Present Lifestyles
• Diversity of Lifestyles
• Differences between Rich and Poor
• Features of Life in the Past
• Features of Victorian Society
• People and Place
• Preserving the Past
• Meaning of ‘Heritage’
• Developing Informed Attitudes

Homes and Houses (groups up to 60 pupils)
In the morning, pupils dress in period costume and visit the House to explore what a ‘home’ was like 200 years ago and to discover just how different day to day life back then was from daily life now. In the afternoon the idea of ‘homes’ is developed with the Ranger Service as the pupils explore the magnificent parkland to discover what lives there and how.

Victorian Workshop (up to 33 pupils)
Led by the ‘scary’ Housekeeper and dressed in period costume, pupils take on the role of servants to discover what life was really like ‘below stairs’ in Victorian times. This is followed by an afternoon of Victorian activities featuring quill penning, flat ironing and butter making in the Butler’s Pantry.

Victorians at Hopetoun (between 33 and 66 pupils)
This activity is for a bigger groups of up between 33 and 60 and allows the children to experience a variety of activities found in both Houses and Homes and the Victorian Workshop. The pupils are split into smaller groups and dress up in costume for a drama and mime sessions in the House. They also explore the grounds and play Victorian games outside (weather permitting) followed by a quill penning session. This option allows the larger groups to explore and experience Victorian Life at Hopetoun inside and out, upstairs and downstairs.

Outdoor Education for Schools

The Parkland at Hopetoun is an ideal location for Environmental Studies. Three full day workshops are available that can accommodate groups of up to 33 children covering aspects of the 5-14 Curriculum in Environmental Studies .
· Minibeast Safari and Orientreeing
· Pond Dipping and Processes of Life
· Rocky Shore Studies and the Hopetoun Parkland
Curriculum Areas Covered
· Variety and Characteristic Features
· Processes of Life
· Interaction of Living Things and the Environment
· Using Maps
· The Physical Environment
· People and Place
· Developing Informed Attitudes

Minibeast Safari and Orien-tree-ing
The morning session involves an introduction to invertebrates and the world they live in with emphasis on habitat and food. The afternoon exercise in Orien-tree-ing gives pupils (working in small groups under guidance) the opportunity to follow simple maps to navigate from tree to tree, learning about them as they go. This fun exercise promotes teamwork and fitness as well as environmental awareness. Younger age groups will be helped around the course, whilst older pupils may be able to explore the course more independently. As an alternative activity to Orien-tree-ing, younger groups can explore simple woodland food chains in the afternoon session.

Pond Dipping and Processes of Life
In the morning pupils are encouraged consider the importance of life and uncover the underwater world of freshwater invertebrates by examining the murky waters of the pond. In the afternoon pupils take on the role of various members of a food chain and gain understanding into how food chains fit into the cycle of life.

Rocky Shore Studies
The day begins with pupils studying West Lothian’s only rocky shore to discover the world of periwinkles, starfish and crabs covering concepts such as adaptation, prey/predator relationships and habitat. This is followed in the afternoon by an exploration of the Hopetoun Parkland. (Please note this option is tide dependant, contact us for details).

Contact Details

Education Workshops, Young Hopetoun Club:
Education Coordinator
Hopetoun House Preservation Trust
Hopetoun House
South Queensferry
EH30 9SL
T: 0131 331 2451
E: education @ hopetounhouse.com

Ranger Service:
Senior Ranger at Hopetoun House Preservation Trust
Hopetoun House
South Queensferry
EH30 9SL
T: 0131 331 2451
E: ranger @ hopetounhouse.com

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