<P>More than almost any other European region, Scotland has preserved its rich architectural heritage. This breathtaking book is an invitation to explore 10 Scottish houses that survived the country's turbulent history and remain the property of the original families. Exuding the welcoming scent of peat fires, wet dogs, and single-malt whiskies, they were built over generations, and furnished with heirlooms and battered hand-me-downs. From canopy beds keeping the chill of a Scottish winter at bay to breakfront cabinets filled with monogrammed heirloom china, Drumlanrig Castle, Dumfries, the evocatively named House of the Binns, and others celebrate Scotland's wealth of historically and architecturally important country houses, designed by the nation's most prominent architects, including William Bruce, William and Robert Adam, and Robert Lorimer. Telling details, like a red silk bellpull against green floral wallpaper or a drawer full of 200-year-old love letters, reveal the inhabitants' eccentric personalities.</p>