Kilmory Castle
- Not to be confused with Kilmory Castle, Bute
| Kilmory Castle | |
| Argyllshire | |
|---|---|
May2006.jpg) Kilmory Castle seen from the south-west | |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | NR869867 |
| Location: | 56°1’32"N, 5°25’17"W |
| History | |
| Built 1830s | |
| For: | Sir John Orde |
| Country house | |
| Information | |
| Owned by: | Argyll & Bute Council |
Kilmory Castle, also known as Kilmory House, is a large 19th century house located just to the south of Lochgilphead in Argyll. It is currently occupied by the headquarters of the Argyll and Bute Council. The house is protected as a Category B listed building.[1]
The gardens are open to the public and form part of a country park on the former estate.
History
There was a church at Kilmory in ancient times, and in the 1550s the church and lands of Kilmory were held by the Abbot of Paisley. In 1575 the estate was owned by Donald Campbell of Kilmory, and remained in the Campbell family for over 250 years. A house may have stood here as early as the 14th century.[2] The Campbells built a house, or extended the existing one, in 1816–1820.[3]
Eliza Campbell, the eldest daughter and co-heir of Peter Campbell, married Sir John Orde, 2nd Baronet in 1824. He purchased the estates following the death of his father-in-law in 1828 and of his wife in 1829. Orde demolished the modest old Campbell house and replaced it with a grand Gothic-revival mansion designed by architect Joseph Gordon Davis. The core of the older house was retained, but was extended into an ‘L’-shaped plan, with new exterior and interior decoration, and a large octagonal tower at the south-west corner. Orde also greatly expanded and improved the grounds and estate, engaging William Hooker to extend the gardens in 1830. Further extensions were carried out in the 1860s.
Orde was buried in the private burial ground adjacent to the house in 1878. His son succeeded to the baronetcy and changed his name to Campbell-Orde in 1880. The Campbell-Orde baronets retained the estate until 1938. It passed through several owners thereafter, and served variously as a hotel, hostel, and conference centre.
In March 1949 an announcement was made that it would open in June as a national holiday centre for young people.[4]
In 1974 the house was purchased to serve as a headquarters for the new Argyll and Bute District Council, which was formed in 1975. An office block extension was built onto the house in 1980–1982, to increase the provision of space. Fire damaged the main house the following year, and many interiors had to be refurbished.
Outside links
- "History of Kilmory". Argyll and Bute Council. https://www.argyll-bute.gov.uk/local-history/history-kilmory.
- Kilmichael Forest: The Woodland Trust
References
- ↑ {{{2}}} (Category B) - Listing detail (Historic Environment Scotland)
- ↑ Coventry, Martin (2001). The Castles of Scotland (3rd ed.). Goblinshead. p. 274.
- ↑ Walker, Frank Arneil (2000). The Buildings of Scotland. Argyll and Bute. Penguin. p. 107.
- ↑ "Kilmory Castle as holiday home: Centre for young people". The Glasgow Herald: p. 6. 24 March 1949. https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=WFNAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=FosMAAAAIBAJ&pg=5565%2C5530013.