Ardkinglas
Ardkinglas House | |
---|---|
Scottish baronial style | |
Owner | David Sumsion |
Listed Building – Category A | |
Designated | 20 July 1971 |
Reference no. | LB13786 |
Official name | Ardkinglas and Strone |
Designated | 1 July 1987 |
Reference no. | GDL00022 |
Ardkinglas House is a Category A listed country house on the Ardkinglas Estate in Argyll, Scotland.[1] The estate lies on the eastern shore of Loch Fyne, and the house is located close to the village of Cairndow. Dating back to the 14th century and originally a Campbell property, the estate now covers more than 12,000 acres (4,900 ha) of rolling hills and landscaped parkland. The centre of the estate was Ardkinglas Castle until this was replaced by a new house in the 18th century. This house was itself replaced by the present Ardkinglas House in the early 20th century, designed by Sir Robert Lorimer for Sir Andrew Noble.[1] It remains the property of the Noble family, and is open to the public on a limited basis. The woodland gardens are open all year round.[2]
Estate history
Ardkinglas Castle
Ardkinglas Castle is thought to date from the 14th century. It was built in the form of a quadrangle around an inner courtyard measuring 98 feet (30 m) in each direction. There were large turrets on three of the corners, to the front there was a large gate tower with two flanking defensive turrets. By 1769 the castle was reported destroyed.
On 23 March 1679, Colin Campbell of Ardkinglas was made a
estate around 1700, and was succeeded by his grandson, Lt.Col. Sir James Livingston-Campbell, son of his eldest daughter Helen.The first Ardkinglas House
During the 18th century the Campbells commissioned designs for a new house at Ardkinglas from some of the leading architects of the day, including Colen Campbell, Robert Adam and James Playfair. None of these designs were built, and the house constructed in 1795 has been described as "rather dull".[5] This house was destroyed by fire in 1831 and, despite further designs from architects including William Burn and Alexander Binning, the family moved into the stable block which was adapted as the main house.[citation needed]
In 1810, when Sir Alexander Livingston-Campbell died, Ardkinglas was inherited by his cousin James Callander of Craigforth, who subsequently changed his name to Campbell and adopted the style of a baronet, although he was not entitled to do so.[citation needed]
The present house
In 1905 Ardkinglas was purchased by
John Noble inherited the estate in 1972, and began farming oysters in the loch. In 1988 he opened the first Loch Fyne Oyster Bar, now a national chain. The house has been used as a filming location for television series, including The Crow Road and films including The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep. It is open to the public, although not on a regular basis. The house's original "Butler's Quarters" can be rented out.[citation needed]
Ardkinglas Gardens
The Woodland Gardens, dating back to the 18th century, are open year-round with views of the exterior of Ardkinglas House and its backdrop onto Loch Fyne. The Arboretum was planted in the 1860s-70s by the Callander family and has some specimens of large trees. One of these trees a Grand Fir (Abies grandis) held the record for many years as "The Tallest tree in Britain", another tree a Silver Fir (Abies alba) is described as the "Mightiest Conifer in Europe" with a trunk girth of over 31 feet (9.4 m).[6]
Ardkinglas Railway
Overview | |
---|---|
Locale | Scotland |
Dates of operation | 1866–late 1890s |
Successor | Abandoned |
Technical | |
Track gauge | 12 in (305 mm) |
Length | 1 mile |
The Ardkinglas Railway was a 12 in (305 mm)
See also
- Ardgoil
- British narrow gauge railways
References
- ^ a b Historic Environment Scotland. "ARDKINGLAS HOUSE (Category A Listed Building) (LB13786)". Retrieved 5 March 2019.
- ^ "Historic Mansion House and Woodland Gardens Argyll, West Coast of Scotland | Ardkinglas Estate". Ardkinglas.com. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
- ^ Gordon Donaldson, Register of the Privy Seal: 1581-84, vol. 8 (Edinburgh, 1982), p. 313 no. 1862.
- ^ Hayton, D. W. (2002). "CAMPBELL, James (c.1666-1752), of Ardkinglas, Argyll". The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1690-1715.
- ^ a b "Ardkinglas House". Canmore. Historic Environment Scotland. Retrieved 3 May 2017.
- ^ "Historic Mansion House and Woodland Gardens Argyll, West Coast of Scotland | Ardkinglas Estate". Ardkinglas.com. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
- Macmillan, Nigel S.C. (1970). The Campbeltown and Machrihanish Light Railway. Newton Abbot: David & Charles. ISBN 978-0-7153-4919-9.