▁as ▁well ▁as ▁architect . ▁Among ▁his ▁best ▁known ▁works ▁are ▁Hop et oun ▁House ▁near ▁Edinburgh , ▁and ▁D uff ▁House ▁in ▁Ban ff . ▁His ▁individual , ▁ex uber ant ▁style ▁built ▁on ▁the ▁P all ad ian ▁style , ▁but ▁with ▁Bar o que ▁details ▁inspired ▁by ▁Van b rug h ▁and ▁Cont inental ▁architecture . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 8 th ▁century , ▁Adam ▁was ▁considered ▁Scotland ' s ▁" Univers al ▁Arch itect ". ▁However , ▁since ▁the ▁early ▁ 2 0 th ▁century , ▁architect ural ▁critics ▁have ▁taken ▁a ▁more ▁measured ▁view , ▁Col in ▁Mc Will iam , ▁for ▁instance , ▁finding ▁the ▁quality ▁of ▁his ▁work ▁" var ied ▁to ▁an ▁extreme ▁degree ". ▁As ▁well ▁as ▁being ▁an ▁architect , ▁Adam ▁was ▁involved ▁in ▁several ▁industrial ▁vent ures ▁and ▁improvement ▁schemes , ▁including ▁coal ▁min ing , ▁salt ▁p anning , ▁stone ▁quar ries ▁and ▁mill s . ▁In ▁ 1 7 3 1 ▁he ▁began ▁to ▁build ▁up ▁his ▁own ▁estate ▁in ▁Kin ross - shire , ▁which ▁he ▁named ▁Bla ir ▁Adam . ▁He ▁was ▁the ▁father ▁of ▁three ▁architect s ; ▁John , ▁Robert ▁and ▁James , ▁the ▁last ▁two ▁were ▁the ▁developers ▁of ▁the ▁" Ad am ▁style ". ▁ ▁Biography ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁William ▁Adam ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁Link town ▁of ▁Abb ot sh all , ▁now ▁a ▁neighbourhood ▁of ▁Kirk cal dy , ▁F ife , ▁and ▁was ▁bapt ised ▁on ▁ 2 4 ▁October ▁