Dunbar, John 1930- (J.G. Dunbar, John G. Dunbar, John Greenwell Dunbar)

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Dunbar, John 1930- (J.G. Dunbar, John G. Dunbar, John Greenwell Dunbar)

PERSONAL:

Born March 1, 1930, in London, England; son of John (a marine engineer) and Marie Dunbar; married Elizabeth Mill Blyth, 1974. Education: Balliol College, Oxford, B.A., 1952, M.A., 1954.

ADDRESSES:

Home—Midlothian, Scotland. Office—Royal Commission on Ancient Monuments, 52-4 Melville St., Edinburgh, Scotland.

CAREER:

Royal Commission on Ancient Monuments, Edinburgh, Scotland, staff member, 1953—, secretary, 1978-90. Member of Ancient Monuments Board for Scotland, 1978-90.

MEMBER:

Society of Antiquaries of London, Society of Antiquaries of Scotland (member of council, 1965-68, 1971-74), National Trust for Scotland (member of council, 1967-74), New Club (Edinburgh).

AWARDS, HONORS:

Order of British Empire, 1999; FSA, honorary FSAS, honorary FRIAS.

WRITINGS:

The Historic Architecture of Scotland, Batsford (London, England), 1966, 2nd revised edition published as The Architecture of Scotland, Batsford (London, England), 1978.

Source Materials for the Study of Scottish Architectural History, Scottish Georgian Society (Edinburgh, Scotland), 1969.

(Contributor) Howard Colvin and John Harris, editors, The Country Seat: Studies in the History of the British Country House, Penguin (London, England), 1970.

(Contributor) John G. Hurst and M.W. Beresford, editors, Deserted Medieval Villages: Studies, Lutterworth Press (London, England), 1971, St. Martin's (New York, NY), 1972.

The Stirling Heads, H.M.S.O. [for the] Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland (Edinburgh, Scotland), 1975.

(With W. Douglas Simpson) Dunstaffnage Castle, H.M. S.O. Books (Edinburgh, Scotland), 1981, 2nd edition, H.M.S.O. Books (Edinburgh, Scotland), 1986.

Accounts of the Masters of Works 1616-1649, Volume 2, H.M.S.O. Books (Edinburgh, Scotland), 1982.

(With Ian Fisher) Iona: A Guide to the Monuments, H.M.S.O. Books (Edinburgh, Scotland), 1995.

(Editor and author of introduction) Sir William Burrell's Northern Tour, 1758, Tuckwell Press, in association with European Ethnological Research Centre and National Museums of Scotland (East Lothian, Scotland), 1997.

Scottish Royal Palaces: The Architecture of the Royal Residences during the Late Medieval and Early Renaissance Periods, Tuckwell Press (East Lothian, Scotland), 1999.

(With Richard Fawcett and Kitty Cruft) Borders, Yale University Press (New Haven, CT), 2006.

Contributor to publications of Royal Commission on Ancient Monuments and to learned journals.

SIDELIGHTS:

John Dunbar and his coauthors Richard Fawcett and Kitty Cruft contributed the ninth volume to the "Buildings of Scotland" series, titled Borders. This book provides a thorough survey of the historical Scottish countries of Selkirkshire, Roxburghshire, Peeblesshire, and Berwickshire, located in the southeastern part of the state in the modern government council area known as the Scottish Borders. This area, and the character of its people, were immortalized in works by the historical novelist Sir Walter Scott. The book begins with a long introduction, presenting the topography, history, and man-made features unique to the Borders, including monuments, castles, railways, and roads. In the "Gazetteer" section, specific localities are introduced and buildings described in detail. The Borders are known for beautiful, unspoiled landscapes and interesting historical structures, so this volume in the series is "especially welcome," according to Hugh Massingberd in Spectator. "Indeed it should serve more than any other book since the heyday of Sir Walter Scott to open our eyes to the romance and beauty of the old counties." Massingberd added: "The authors are to be congratulated on a phenomenal achievement in recording an extraordinary range of buildings."