Penicuik House rises from ashes in Minecraft

One of Scotland's grandest country houses has been recreated in the video game Minecraft.

Penicuik House was built in the 1760s for Sir James Clerk, 3rd Baronet of Penicuik. In 1899, it was devastated by a fire and remains a ruin today.

To mark the 25th national Doors Open Day, the Scottish Civic Trust commissioned both complete and ruined versions of the house in Minecraft.

The video game involves breaking and placing blocks to create structures.

Games-based educational consultancy ImmersiveMinds used hundreds of thousands of blocks to make scale models of Penicuik House, which is owned by the Clerk family.

John Pelan, Scottish Civic Trust director, said: "Doors Open Days appeals to our natural nosiness to get in and look around all the wonderful buildings that make up our towns and cities.

"We are delighted that Sir Robert and Lady Clerk agreed to the mad idea to Minecraft the amazing Penicuik House and are astonished by the work that ImmersiveMinds have achieved."

Stephen Reid. of ImmersiveMinds, said hours of work went into creating exteriors and interiors of the property.

He said: "The build has taken 86 hours to complete and includes a topographically accurate, 1:1.5 scale landscape and structure comprising over 350,000 blocks, most of which have been retextured to match the look and feel of both incarnations of Penicuik House."

Historic Scotland and Aberdeen Asset Management supported the project.