A Gift from Canton: From Hugh Scott to You

In 1715 the East India Company started trading with China, when the first “factory” was opened in Canton. The Chinese government imposed strict limitations on Western interaction with China, restricting trade to Canton as well as restricting which goods the East India Company could sell, focussing on the major export goods of tea, silk and porcelain.

The goods sold were considered by the Government to be of little material, cultural or artistic value, but they were very appealing to an eager European market. This was not lost on Hugh Scott, Sir Walter’s Cousin, and captain of East India Company ship the Marquis of Camden. Hugh had arranged for a shipment of wallpaper to be sent to Abbotsford after returning from China in the latter part of 1822. Scott, who was in the midst of decorating the interiors at the time, was delighted,

‘…twenty four pieces of the most splendid Chinese paper, twelve feet high by four wide, a present from my cousin Hugh Scott, enough to finish the Drawing Room and two bedrooms.’

Chinese wallpapers are highly durable and resistant to deterioration through humidity fluctuations and pest damage. This is attributable to the bark used in their construction and the clay wash applied before the paint (or gouache) decoration is added. Recent conservation work has helped to restore the wallpaper to its former glory, removing the discolouration caused by the original gas lighting.

The wallpaper is full of flowers and animals, all of which are laden with meaning in Chinese art, such as apple blossoms to signify peace, daffodils for longevity and monkeys for the driving out of evil spirits. The Drawing Room provides a bright and vibrant contrast to the more traditional antiquarian interiors found elsewhere at Abbotsford.

As the centuries passed, the Chinese Drawing Room remained one of the most striking spaces at Abbotsford, a place of colour and conversation. Inspired by its hand-painted wallpapers and the stories woven into every flower and bird, Abbotsford’s Visitors Centre is proud to introduce a new collection inspired by this remarkable room.

Drawing from the artistry of the wallpaper itself, the collection brings together delicate floral notes, rare Scottish-grown tea leaves and carefully selected coffees, each designed to reflect the elegance and atmosphere of the Chinese Drawing Room.

The tea collection features soft rose-infused blends inspired by Sir Walter Scott’s well-known love of roses — flowers that filled both his writing and the gardens surrounding Abbotsford — while the coffee offers a single-origin expression, chosen for its clarity, character and depth, locally roasted in his beloved Selkirk.

Just as Hugh Scott’s gift once brought a touch of distant China into the heart of the Scottish Borders, this new range continues that story of connection, craftsmanship and shared pleasures. Visitors can now take home a small piece of Abbotsford’s history — a modern gift inspired by one that first arrived from Canton over two centuries ago.

Available now from the Visitors Centre, with more inspired additions still to come.