| Torosay Castle | |
|---|---|
 The castle in 2010 | |
| Site information | |
| Owner | Campbell family |
| Website | https://www.isle-of-mull.net/attractions/history/castles/torosay-castle/ |
| Location | |
  Torosay Castle | |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1858 |
| Built by | Architect David Bryce |
Listed Building – Category A | |
| Official name | Torosay Castle |
| Designated | 20 July 1971 |
| Reference no. | LB17975 |
| Official name | Torosay Castle (Duart House) |
| Designated | 30 June 1987 |
| Reference no. | GDL00376 |
Torosay Castle is a large house situated1+1⁄2 miles (2.5 kilometres) south ofCraignure, in the parish ofTorosay, on theIsle of Mull, in the ScottishInner Hebrides.
The buildings and gardens were listed by Historic Scotland in 1987. The agency indicates that the property was originally known as Duart House.[1] One source explains that it was renamed Torosay to avoid confusing it withDuart Castle which is also located on the island, on the Sound of Mull.[2]
It was designed by architectDavid Bryce for John Campbell of Possil (seeCarter-Campbell of Possil) in theScottish Baronial style. A history by Undiscovered Scotland provides these specifics:[3]
"In the 1850s Colonel Campbell's son John inherited the estate, demolished the Georgian house, and commissioned Edinburgh architect David Bryce to produce something on a much grander scale. What was called at the time Duart House was completed in 1858".
In 1865, the property was sold to Arbuthnot Charles Guthrie and was owned by members of that family until 1911, when it was sold as a ruin to Sir Fitzroy Maclean who arranged to restore the castle.[3] Following the sale ofGuthrie Castle out of the Guthrie family, Torosay was generally acknowledged as the seat forClan Guthrie.
Torosay is surrounded by 12 acres (5 hectares) gardens including formal terraces laid out at the turn of the 20th century and attributed to SirRobert Lorimer.[4] The castle and gardens used to be open to the public, being linked to the Craignure ferry terminal by theIsle of Mull Railway.
The garden's Statue Walk is made up of 19 statues in the style of Italian sculptorAntonio Bonazza. The statues were acquired by then-owner Walter Murray Guthrie from a derelict garden near Milan and shipped to Scotland for next to nothing as ballast in a cargo ship.[1]
The novelistAngela du Maurier, older sister ofDame Daphne du Maurier, is said to have spent some time residing at Torosay with her close companion Olive Guthrie (great grandmother of the present owner).[5] Angela dedicated her bookWeep No More (1940) to "Olive Guthrie of Torosay." Other visitors during the 1930s included Winston Churchill (Olive Guthrie was his aunt by marriage) andKing George of Greece.
The castle was sold in 2012 by Christopher Guthrie-James, the fifth laird of Torosay Castle. The new owner, the McLean Fund, closed it for renovations; it was occupied again in December 2013 by a private family. Guthrie-James said, "it was with a sense of relief, rather than regret, that we sold the family home at Torosay." Kenneth Donald McLean, sixth laird, has spent more than £1 million renovating the castle and gardens. The castle is permanently closed to the public. The gardens are open on the first Sunday in the month from April to October.[6][7]
A report published in March 2017 referred to the new owner as "Madame von Speyr, whose charity, the Dew Cross Centre for Moral Technology, is said to be based here".[8] The charity, however, listed its base as Edinburgh in 2019.[9]
In July 2008, the then oldest bottle ofVeuve Clicquotchampagne was discovered inside asideboard in Torosay Castle. The 1893 bottle was in mint condition. It is believed to have been locked inside the dark sideboard since at least 1897. The champagne is now on display at the Veuve Clicquot visitor centre in Reims, France, and regarded as "priceless".[10]
| Main settlements |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Smaller settlements | ||
| Geographical features | ||
| History and architecture | ||
| Local culture and economy | ||
| Surrounding islands | ||
56°27′18″N5°41′14″W / 56.45500°N 5.68722°W /56.45500; -5.68722
