The house, designed by Robert Adam in the late 18th century, is a category A listed building.

[2] Their son John Dalrymple, 2nd Earl of Stair (1679–1747), served as ambassador to the French court at Versailles from 1715 to 1720.

[1] Much of the detail of the garden design, including canals, cascades and avenues, may have been the work of Lord Stair himself.

Lord Stair's loyalty has led to suggestions that the 'Union Jack' patterned layout of "Hercules Wood" within the grounds is a celebration of his part in the victory at Dettingen.

The landscape designer William Sawrey Gilpin worked on improvements to the grounds in the 1830s, during which time the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway was built through the south-west corner of the Newliston parks.