English: The Hirsel Originally a hirsel was an area of land over which a single shepherd could supervise a flock of sheep. Things have come on a long way since then. The main part of the big house was built between 1702 and 1714, and is the ancestral seat of the Home family; the most famous member of which was Sir Alec Douglas-Home, British prime minister 1963-4. After retiring as prime minister, Sir Alec was created a life peer with the title Lord Home of the Hirsel. A statue of Sir Alec stands at the entrance to the park.