Take a look inside Scotland's oldest inhabited family home as it prepares to open doors to the public

Scotland's oldest inhabited family home has been pictured preparing to open its doors to the public.

Traquair House, situated near Peebles in the Scottish Borders, dates back to 1107 - and has been home to the same family since 1491.

The manor was gifted by the Earl of Buchan to his son, James Stewart, who became the first Laird of Traquair, passing the home down to his own children.

In 1566, Traquair was visited by Mary Queen of Scots, but by the 1700s, the family had forfeited their advancement in the political sphere after returning to Catholicism.

In 1745 after the visit of Bonnie Prince Charlie, the 5th Earl promised the ornamental gates would not be opened until the Stuarts returned to the throne.

Today, the manor is home to Catherine Maxwell-Stuart, the 21st Lady of Traquair - with the home reopening to the public around the time of her birth 60 years ago.

Each spring, the doors open and welcome around 30,000 visitors, who can explore the home's history and the stunning 4,500 acres of land.

Staff have been pictured dusting, organising the historic collections on site, and rearranging the antique furniture ahead of the reopening on 1 April.

The garden also contains Scotland's largest hedged maze, spanning over half an acre and consisting of 1,500 Leylani Cyprus trees.

Mrs Maxwell-Stuart said: "It started as a hunting lodge for kings and queens of Scotland.Then it became a fortified tower and manor house.

"The last addition was in 1694 so it is unchanged since the 1700s.

"It has 900 years of Scottish history inside.''