Bute House: An imposing Georgian property that cost first owner all of £2,950

FOR the past 40 years, Bute House has been one of the key centres of political power in Scotland.

Owned by the National Trust for Scotland, it became the grace-and-favour residence of the Secretary of State for Scotland in 1966 and then, from 1999, the First Minister. They both rented it at a peppercorn rate.

Built by Robert Adam, it dates back to 1806, when its first owner, Sir John Sinclair, bought the house, centrally placed on the north side of Charlotte Square, for £2,950.

It eventually became the property of the Marquis of Bute.

The interior is dominated by its grand first-floor public room, which includes a set of Chippendale chairs, and its walls are adorned with paintings by Scottish artists, including Patrick Naysmith and J McIntosh Patrick.

The First Minister is provided with a flat in the floor above, while what is described as a “haphazard” office space is located in the basement.

The house has been the subject of numerous controversies since the dawn of devolution.

Costs have run into hundreds of thousands of pounds as leaky baths and old-fashioned furnishings have been replaced.

Infamously, friends of former first minister Jack McConnell’s son were filmed there swigging vodka and dancing around a bedroom wearing a floral kimono.

After Mr Salmond moved there in 2007, there were reports that Bute House’s poor ventilation was affecting his health. However, sources yesterday insisted that Mr Salmond would miss the property if he left, believing it had been a good place to “showcase” the country.