| Ardkinglas House | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Location | near Cairndow,Argyll and Bute, Scotland |
| Built | 1906-1908 |
| Architect | Sir Robert Lorimer |
| Architectural style(s) | 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 aCategory A listed country house on the Ardkinglas Estate inArgyll, Scotland.[1] The estate lies on the eastern shore ofLoch Fyne, and the house is located close to the village ofCairndow. Dating back to the 14th century and originally aCampbell 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 bySir Robert Lorimer forSir Andrew Noble.[1] It remains the property of the Noble family, and is open to the public on a limited basis. Thewoodland gardens are open all year round.[2]
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.
James VI of Scotland made James Campbell of Ardkinglascomptroller and in February 1584 "general searcher" of customs of the West Sea, with powers to apprehend ships with forbidden cargoes.[3]
On 23 March 1679, Colin Campbell of Ardkinglas was made abaronet. His sonSir James Campbell, 2nd baronet, (died 1752) sat in theParliament of Scotland from 1702 and, following theUnion of Scotland and England, in theWestminster Parliament until 1741.[4] He purchased theDunderave estate around 1700, and was succeeded by his grandson, Lt.Col. Sir James Livingston-Campbell, son of his eldest daughter Helen.
During the 18th century the Campbells commissioned designs for a new house at Ardkinglas from some of the leading architects of the day, includingColen Campbell,Robert Adam andJames 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 includingWilliam 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 cousinJames 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]
In 1905 Ardkinglas was purchased bySir Andrew Noble, an expert onballistics andgunnery who was chairman ofLord Armstrong's artillery works inNewcastle. Ardkinglas House was designed by architectSir Robert Lorimer, and construction began in May 1906. Although Noble's deadline for completion of 1 August 1907 was not met, the house was fully completed in 21 months. The house was lit with electricity powered from ahydro-electric plant on the estate.[5]
John Noble inherited the estate in 1972, and began farming oysters in the loch. In 1988 he opened the firstLoch Fyne Oyster Bar, now a national chain. The house has been used as a filming location for television series, includingThe Crow Road,The Diplomat,[6] and films includingThe 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]
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 aGrand Fir (Abies grandis) held the record for many years as "The Tallest tree in Britain", another tree aSilver Fir (Abies alba) is described as the "Mightiest Conifer in Europe" with a trunk girth of over 31 feet (9.4 m).[2]
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Locale | Scotland |
| Dates of operation | 1866–late 1890s |
| Successor | Abandoned |
| Technical | |
| Track gauge | 12 in (305 mm) |
| Length | 1 mile |
TheArdkinglas Railway was a12 in (305 mm)narrow gaugeestate railway built to serve the Ardkinglas Estate, former seat ofSir James Campbell, 2nd Baronet, of Ardkinglass, on the shores ofLoch Fyne. The railway ran along the shore of the loch from a boat house at Caspian. The railway was built as a transportation system for the estate and as a garden toy for the estate's 17th Laird, George Livingston-Campbell-Callander. A singlesteam locomotive operated the line; rolling stock consisted of a two-seat open passenger carriage and several wagons. The railway had been dismantled by 1897 and the equipment sold. The boiler from the locomotive was still in situ on the beach atTayvallich onLoch Sween until the early 1950s.[citation needed]
56°15′00″N4°57′02″W / 56.25007°N 4.95062°W /56.25007; -4.95062