The Prince of Wales has led a successful £45 million bid to save one of Britain’s most important stately homes for the nation.

Dumfries House in Ayrshire, and its unique collection of Chippendale furniture, was put up for sale this spring by its former racing driver owner, the aristocrat and sportsman Johnny Bute.

Today it was confirmed that the property has been bought by a consortium of charities and trusts following last-ditch negotiations.

The imposing Palladian mansion was designed 250 years ago by the Adam brothers and sits in nearly 2,000 acres of countryside near Cumnock, in the south-west of Scotland.

Its contents include one of the greatest collections of Chippendale furniture in the world - most of the pieces designed by the Adam brothers for the house, and still in situ in the spots they were designed for.

The whole estate was due to be auctioned in a few weeks’ time, with original estimates putting a price of around £20 million on both the house and its contents.

The funding to save it from the auctioneer's hammer came from a consortium made up of charities, trusts and the Scottish Executive, and was put together by the Prince of Wales in the last few months.

The £45 million project value announced today comprises £25 million from the Scottish Executive and the different charities, as well as a £20 million contribution from the Prince’s Charities Foundation.

The total sum covers the purchase of the house, the land and its contents as well as the creation of a new trust to run the house as a public attraction.

A further 66 acres of land in the Cumnock area with development potential is also included, and it is hoped that the house will become a driver for economic regeneration in that part of Scotland.

Mark Leishman, the Prince’s deputy private secretary, said that Charles was “very relieved” that the house has been saved, and grateful to all those who worked on the deal.

He said: “The Prince was aware of the story of the house over the recent years and was determined to do something to save it for the nation, first of all because of its historic significance and extraordinary contents.

“And almost as important is the fact that the house and its contents will become a driver for the economic regeneration of this part of south west Scotland.”

The £25 million contribution is made up from the Monument Trust (£9 million), the National Heritage Memorial Fund (£7 million), the Scottish Executive (£5 million), the Art Fund (£2.25 million), the Garfield Weston Foundation (£1 million); Sir Siegmund Warburg’s Voluntary Settlement (£250,000), and the Dunard Fund (250,000 US dollars - £125,000).

Alex Salmond, First Minister for Scotland, said that he was delighted at the outcome of the bid, and hoped the project could boost tourism in that part of Scotland.

He said: “When His Royal Highness told me of his plans, I was determined to do what we could to help.

“The house and its exquisite furniture collection are internationally acclaimed - a world-class product of the Scottish Enlightenment. I want them to become a showcase for a newly confident Scotland.”

Mr Bute, 49, who is the current Marquess of Bute and raced under the name Johnny Dumfries, but was born Sir John Colum Crichton-Stuart, first announced his intention to sell Dumfries House three years ago.

He said he wanted to restructure his family’s finances and concentrate on his family home, Mount Stuart on the Isle of Bute in the Firth of Clyde.

Announcing the deal today, he said: “The formation of the Great Steward’s Dumfries House Trust, which will open Dumfries House and the estate for public access, is not only an important addition to Scotland’s cultural heritage but will also enhance the local economies of both Cumnock and Auchinleck.

“In parallel to this, the property development to be undertaken by the Prince’s Foundation for the Built Environment, should add substantially to the local economy as well as to the general regeneration of East Ayrshire.

“I would like to acknowledge the considerable contributions of time, effort and money applied to this project by all interested parties - especially to Prince Charles.”

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