Argyll House
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Overview
Argyll House has been described as “probably the best party house in Scotland.” The dining hall seats 28 in style and comfort, and the rest of the house lends itself ideally to big groups for family celebrations, anniversaries, corporate bonding sessions, or anything else. Argyll House has been thoroughly equipped and nicely furnished throughout, so relax and enjoy the party.
Visit Scotland have made 8 visits to this highly celebrated property, and have ranked it right at the very top of their 4 star ranking for excellence every single time.
Argyll House is as extravagant as a boutique hotel, but at a fraction of the cost and without any of the formality of a hotel. There is also the option of being completely self catering if that suits you, or fully catered if you really want to kick back during your stay. It does not have the grandeur or intimidating historic atmosphere of a castle or a stately home proper, but that makes it a very comfortable place to be at home in, even with nearly 30 people.
A river runs through the grounds just 100 yards behind the main house, and shared facilities include the indoor swimming pool and a tennis court (although both of these can be privatised for certain hours in the day).
With the two other renovations now complete, there is space for an even bigger party. The nearby Mill sleeps 20 with a fabulous open plan living area of nearly 1,000 square feet. And The old barn which is also located nearby sleeps 16 in style and comfort. All can be hired together for groups of up to 60. All properties are entirely independent of each other so you maintain privacy.
What you should know…
- It is part of a larger estate, however, all cottages have their own spa and jacuzzi for you to have your own privacy.
- Mobile phone reception can vary depending on phone provider, but wifi is available on site.
Property Features
The house has been well equipped and nicely furnished, mostly with antiques. The new, comfy beds feature fabulous quality goose-down and feather duvets and gorgeous bed-linen, we’ve put some original Scottish art on the walls, bought half decent crystal for the table and generally tried to ensure that it’s as comfortable and well-equipped a place to stay as you’ll find in Scotland, without having any of the formality or grandeur of a castle or stately home. The house has a lovely, relaxing feel.
With a drawing room, Sauna, Hot Tub, TV room/snug, full-size billiard room, playroom, large kitchen with AGA and breakfast room downstairs - as well as the impressive dining hall seating up to 28 people - the house has sufficient accommodation to cater for any large house party. We have laid out the bedrooms to offer real flexibility; two rooms are set up as twins, three as king-size doubles, and one as a quadruple bunk room. The other seven bedrooms can be set up either as super-king size doubles, as twins, or even sometimes as triples. All bar two of the bedrooms have either an en suite bathroom or a basin. There are four further bathrooms, two separate loos, and a sauna. Altogether, the house has nine showers and ten WCs.
We also have an indoor heated swimming pool that is shared between the three houses on the estate. Each house gets their own hour of exclusive swimming time in the morning and in the afternoon – outside those six hours, it is a “free for all” in the pool. The same rules apply for the tennis court within the estate.
Set amidst the 20 acres of woodland, and enjoying lovely views across the glen and up the mountain, the gardens are mainly laid to lawn and terrace with hydrangeas, rhododendron and azalea, as well as reputedly the tallest Grecian fir in Scotland. Our own woods feature numerous tree species and adjoin thousands of acres of forestry commission land through which guests are welcome to wander. One of our terraces features a Grade A listed sundial. A tributary of the river Ruel runs through the gardens, from the Lochen that supplies our private water supply. There is a lovely waterfall walk within the garden, and a rope-assisted climb down to a pool for outdoor bathing. It’s a fabulous location for kids.
We’ve added a trampoline, croquet set and football goal to what nature has provided as a playground, and we’ve installed two midge machines. Other facilities include the 10 person sauna, a table-tennis room, a billiards room, five sets of golf clubs and 10 bikes.
Location
About the surrounding area of Argyll HouseAlthough just an hour and a half from Glasgow, the house sits in some of the loveliest scenery in Scotland. The Kyles of Bute are renowned with both walkers and sailors as among the most stunning bits of coast in Scotland. Whatever the weather in Argyll, usually remarkably mild, this is great country for site seeing, with every corner revealing a new variation on the theme of mountain, loch, valley, sky, woodland, sea, rock, and beach. The Cowal peninsula is a fabulous base for an active holiday with marvellous wildlife, numerous gardens, other tourist attractions to visit, and a variety of sporting activities.
The house has grounds of 23 acres, and sits about a mile above the head of Loch Riddon, enjoying complete privacy and lovely views down the glen to the river Ruel. The Island of Bute itself is as little as 15 minutes away from the house – accessed via a ferry from Colintraive – and was a “must visit” destination long before Stella McCartney got married there or former racing driver Johnnie Dumfries moved into Mount Stuart House as the new Marquess of Bute.
Inverary with its famous Jail and Castle, seat of Clan Campbell for the last few hundred years, is only 45 minutes away, as is Loch Lomond. Dunoon is another tourist destination in its own right, and it is just under half an hour away. You can get to Glen Coe in an hour and a half; to Stirling, Oban or Fort William in under two. Loch Ness and Edinburgh are easy enough day trips – reachable in less than 2 and a half hours.
As well as general site-seeing and trips to the Island of Bute, Inverary and further afield, there are a host of other activities you can undertake around Glenaruel. It’s fabulous walking country and you will be provided with twelve mountain bikes for those who want to explore on two wheels rather than four. There are some really excellent routes direct from the house, involving all sorts of terrain and levels of strain!
There’s a lovely 9 hole pay and play course ten minutes away above Tighnabruaich. There are five bags of golf clubs for the house and they probably won’t be too fussed about the usual rules regarding golf shoes provided you don’t arrive in jeans and carve the course up. The same applies to the almost equally spectacular nine hole course at Blairmore & Strone, half an hour away. Cowal Golf Club at Dunoon and Inellan are the 18 hole courses in the area that welcome visitors.
For fishing, there are too many options to go into here, but you can spend anything from £9 per day to over £1,000 for river fishing in the area. You can fish for trout in the nearby stream for nothing or in the Lochen at the head of the river. Mackerel on a line in a boat on the Kyles is a right of passage for hundreds of West of Scotland kids every year. They swim in shoals all around these waters and there’s no permit payable.
It’s a fabulous part of the world for water-sports of all sorts. Horse-riding, climbing, canoeing, caving, archery, quad biking, paint-balling, and clay pigeon shooting are also all available either on site or in the area.
There is a wee shop selling all the basics at the camp-site in the Glendaruel valley, about a mile’s walk away, beside the historic Kilmodan standing stones. You get a slightly bigger choice in the Spar at Tighnabruich five miles away. Dunoon is 16 miles away and is a thriving market / harbour town with award-winning bakeries, cafes and butchers, as well as a big Co-Op and a big Somerfield supermarket.
Scotland is not really well served by pubs in general; this area is definitely an exception. The Glendaruel Hotel is a lovely wee pub, a two mile drive away, and serves good pub grub. The Colintraive Hotel and Tighnabruich Hotel are each a tad busier and a tad more ambitious in terms of menu. Chatters in Dunoon is highly recommended, and the Whistlefield and Coylet Inns on Loch Eck are also worth a visit. Less than half an hour away from the house is a wonderful restaurant on Loch Fyne, overlooking the old Castle Lachlan. The Benmore Gardens tea room is not half bad, either, and the Otterferry Inn and Loch Fyne Oyster Bar have good reputations (on which, it might be said, they trade slightly). All in all, though, there are few areas of Scotland where you can enjoy such a variety of excellent, reasonably priced menus.
| Local Amenities | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nearest Airport |
Glasgow
(71-80 km) |
||
| Nearest Ferry port |
Dunoon
(16-20 km) |
||
| Nearest Village |
Glendaruel
(3 km) |
||
| Nearest Town/City |
Tighnabruaich
(10 km) |
||
| Nearest Restaurant |
Colintraive
(9 km) |
||
| Nearest Bar/Pub |
Glendaruel
(2 km) |
||
| Nearest Beach |
Ardlamont
(16-20 km) |
||
| Nearest Golf |
Kyles of Bute
(13 km) |
||
Region
Ah, bonnie Scotland! A wild and beautiful part of the world, where you can explore the rugged highlands or enjoy the colour and vibrancy of cultural capitals like Edinburgh and Glasgow.
But how do you know you’re getting the very best out of your trip? That’s where we come in. If you’ve had a browse through our range of luxury cottages and castles in Scotland, you’ll know there’s some great places to stay, but to find all the great things to do, see and eat you’ll need our handy Scotland travel guide – so read on and enjoy!
Kids
Best Suited For: All AgesWith a heated swimming pool, tennis court, football pitch - and even a bouncy castle available for guest use - the grounds of this estate are fantastically laid out for young people's entertainment. Our own 22 acres merge into a four thousand acre forest park, so kids can disappear into the woods for hours on end.
A separate games cottage is a teenage-friendly space for table tennis, darts and pool, but each individual house features its own play room stacked with jigsaws and games, and a separate TV room with full SKY tv. There's also a trampoline, croquet sets, cricket sets, bikes and golf clubs available to keep kids busy.
BABY AND TODDLER EQUIPMENT
Mattress protector: 10+
Baby bath: x3
Baby and Toddler Equipment
- Mattress protector
- Baby bath
- Bath toys
- Booster seat
- Bibs
- Changing mat
- Baby monitor
- Pushchair
- Potty
- Stair gates
- Bottle steriliser
- Plastic crockery
- Cot(s)
- High Chair(s)
Kids Activities Close-by
- Beach Nearby
- Walk to Restaurant
- Watersports
- Canoeing/Kayaking
- Horse Riding
- Fishing
- Outdoor Pursuit & Activities
- Tourist Towns & Villages
- Historical Sites
Onsite Facilities
- Children's books
- Children's videos/DVDs
- Heated Pool
- Tennis Court
- Bicycles Provided
- Games Room
- Indoor Games
- Outdoor Games
- Table Tennis
- Table Football
- Pool/Snooker
- DVD
- Toys
Services Available
- Meal delivery service
Extras
Oliver's Extras
- Meal delivery service
The house is available on a self-catering or fully-catered basis – or something in between. Most of the weekend parties are for big celebrations - and not everyone wants to take on the task of cooking for 30 of their nearest and dearest. The owners have been able to recruit Roger and Bea McKie (formerly of An Lochan and now co-proprietors of Taste Scotland) as the contracted caterers. From a wedding breakfast for 150, through a formal four course dinner for 24, to a serve it yourself home-cooked fish pie, from a buffet, to a picnic, to a barbecue, they can offer up a menu to suit at a budget that works for you.
When catering a dinner for you, as a one-off, the taste team will always leave you with some delicious fresh made bread and a vat or two of homemade soup for lunch the next day – along with your left overs. It’s a lovely touch, and effectively means that you’ve got two meals for the price of one! The default setting for the house is still self-catering but if you prefer, then Roger and Bea can work for you as live-in caterers during some or all of your stay.
They will design a menu or series of menus for you that works to your budget. This could be as little as £9.95 per head for a two course meal from their fresh-cooked serve it yourself “Home Taste” menu – or four or five times that per head if you have a serious langoustine or fois gras habit.
On a live-in basis, you need to budget £175 per day per chef, dropping to £850 for the full week, plus the cost of ingredients. They’ll discuss menu plans with you and then cook you breakfast, provide pack/picnic lunch ingredients and feed children and adults separately in the evening. If the big house is at full capacity and you don’t want any involvement in the prep or clearing up, then you need two members of staff. If you are talking about a party of under 20 guests, then it may be possible for a single chef to look after your party.
Scarlett Johansen’s personal trainer is going to deliver a series of fun and challenging fitness and weight-loss centred Luxury Boot camps; participants are guaranteed to lose weight or get their money back.
Attend the first ever gourmet golf tours hosted by the PGA Tour and coaching professional Alan Tait in April. The Feast of Golf 2012 is another cracking present and with an all-inclusive price gives golfers rounds at the Carrick, Earl of Mar and Machrahanish Dunes.
Charles Jamieson MFA is the host-tutor for The Drawing Room, which is a new residential painting and drawing school taking place in March. Charles is a hugely talented and collected painter, as well as an experienced, intuitive and enthusiastic teacher. He has a number of stories, and is a great host. The Drawing Room welcomes amateur artists of all standards.
The same applies to the new cookery school; the host and tutor of the Feast of Scotland Cookery Courses is Briton’s most successful cookery tutor, as well as being an outstanding chef. His students have won the UK-wide competition for cookery students an unprecedented three years in a row and he has been awarded an MBE as a result. On all these courses, there is a maximum of 16 participants, and the price you pay is an all-inclusive cost including all transfers, all materials, all visits, all food and drink – and all the laughter.
At Oliver’s Travels we pride ourselves on going that little bit further for our guests. From private chefs to babysitters we can help you arrange those little extras that make it a truly memorable holiday. Simply fill in the concierge request form or contact the Oliver’s Concierge Team who will be happy to help.
Please note that all extras are subject to availability and must be requested in advance of the holiday (prices on request). Due to some rural/remote locations, not all services will be available at all properties. However, we will always do our best to fulfil your requests!
Oliver's Travels Chef Service: A Gourmet Dining Experience
Make hosting a memorable dinner party at your villa an absolute breeze with our superb Chef Service. Our chefs will take care of everything for you from start to finish so you can just sit back and enjoy the gastronomic experience. They will bring all the necessary ingredients, cook and serve the food and even clean up afterwards. To find out more visit www.oliverstravels.com/chefs
With 20 acres of grounds, fabulous views, and top class accommodation on site for over 60 people, th...
Read moreEvent information
With 20 acres of grounds, fabulous views, and top class accommodation on site for over 60 people, the estate must be one of the most attractive venues for a wedding in Scotland. There have been some really lavish wedding parties, with top of the range marquees, amazingly lit, vintage champagnes flowing and £60 per head breakfasts.
It can also be an incredibly cost-effective way to go about things, both for you and your guests. You can provide your own alcohol, charge guests less than they would pay for a B&B or hotel, and end up with a fantastic day, in a stunning, private, historic setting without breaking the bank. If that means you can spend more on the honeymoon and they can spend more on the wedding presents, everyone will be happy.
Kilmodan Church is just a couple of miles away, and is a really pretty venue for those wanting a religious ceremony in a traditional setting – but Scottish law allows a minister of religion to conduct the ceremony anywhere he likes, so you have all the flexibility in the world.
Whether you take just one house, or all three, whether you want a marquee – or a giant yurt – in the garden or just to use the house itself, the property can manage ceremonies and celebrations for anything from a dozen to 200 guests. Wedding parties for up to 66 guests are allowed in the house itself; for bigger functions, guests should use a yurt or marquee.
The lovely caterers at An Lochan in Tighnabruich offer a free wedding co-ordination service to any wedding party using them for catering, and they can help with any aspects of your wedding including ceremony and reception planning, piper, flowers, beauticians, stylists, masseuses, photographers, wedding cake, menu and table planning, printing, etc. They will help you source local favours for guests, sort out a car or horse drawn carriage, find the right musicians for each slot, and provide an organiser or event manager on the day to make sure everything goes smoothly. You might want additional local accommodation organised, or advice on activities for guests on the morning of the wedding. All that can be arranged for you.
If you are not using An lochan for catering, then the owners will provide up to 5 hours of event management and wedding co-ordination for you. Valerie is an experienced event organiser and gives you access to the same sort of service and the same sort of contact base that Bea at An Lochan provides when you are booking them as caterers.
The owners charge a one-off single facility fee of £1,000 for all weddings. This applies when you take one house or three, for a week or a weekend, for a service or just a reception. There are no other extras, apart from the cost of the houses for the period you want them.
| Security deposit | £50 per person (£100 per person for Stag do's and Hen do's). This is paid prior to arrival and will be refunded in full after departure subject to damage inspection. |
| Arrival time | 4 p.m. or earlier by arrangement. |
| Departure time | 10.30 a.m. or later by arrangement. |
Terms & Conditions
These terms and conditions may be amended from time to time.
| Security deposit | £50 per person (£100 per person for Stag do's and Hen do's). This is paid prior to arrival and will be refunded in full after departure subject to damage inspection. |
| Arrival time | 4 p.m. or earlier by arrangement. |
| Departure time | 10.30 a.m. or later by arrangement. |
| Energy costs included? | Included in the rental price. |
| Linen & towels included? | All linen and bath towels are included in the rental price. |
| Pets welcome? | Pets allowed. |
| Changeover day | Any day of the week. |
| End of stay cleaning included? | Included. Please leave the property in the state that you found it. |
| Smoking Allowed? | No smoking in the property. |
| Insurance | It is recommended that all guests take out insurance to cover against potential cancellation and any accidental damage caused during your stay at the property. |
Rental Rates
Prices based on an occupancy of 28 people:
| Rental period | 2 Nights | 3 Nights | 4 Nights | 5 Nights | Weekly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| * Easter | £5,154 | £5,412 | £5,671 | £5,929 | £6,444 |
| Apr 26th 2019 - May 24th 2019 | £4,509 | £4,767 | £5,025 | £5,283 | £5,799 |
| May 24th 2019 - Jun 28th 2019 | £5,154 | £5,412 | £5,671 | £5,929 | £6,444 |
| Jun 28th 2019 - Aug 30th 2019 | £5,799 | £6,186 | £6,574 | £6,961 | £7,734 |
| Aug 30th 2019 - Sep 27th 2019 | £5,154 | £5,412 | £5,671 | £5,929 | £6,444 |
| Sep 27th 2019 - Oct 25th 2019 | £4,509 | £4,767 | £5,025 | £5,283 | £5,799 |
| Oct 25th 2019 - Nov 1st 2019 | £4,833 | £5,155 | £5,478 | £5,801 | £6,445 |
| Nov 1st 2019 - Dec 13th 2019 | £3,864 | £4,122 | £4,380 | £4,639 | £5,154 |
| Dec 13th 2019 - Dec 20th 2019 | - | - | - | - | £10,286 |
| Dec 20th 2019 - Dec 27th 2019 | - | - | - | - | £10,286 |
| Dec 27th 2019 - Jan 3rd 2020 | - | - | - | - | £11,601 |
| Jan 3rd 2020 - Feb 21st 2020 | £3,864 | £4,122 | £4,380 | £4,639 | £5,154 |
| Feb 21st 2020 - Apr 10th 2020 | £4,509 | £4,767 | £5,025 | £5,283 | £5,799 |
| * Easter | £5,154 | £5,412 | £5,671 | £5,929 | £6,444 |
| Apr 17th 2020 - May 22nd 2020 | £4,509 | £4,767 | £5,025 | £5,283 | £5,799 |
| May 22nd 2020 - Jun 26th 2020 | £5,154 | £5,412 | £5,671 | £5,929 | £6,444 |
| Jun 26th 2020 - Aug 28th 2020 | £5,799 | £6,186 | £6,574 | £6,961 | £7,734 |
| Aug 28th 2020 - Sep 25th 2020 | £5,154 | £5,412 | £5,671 | £5,929 | £6,444 |
| Sep 25th 2020 - Oct 22nd 2020 | £4,509 | £4,767 | £5,025 | £5,283 | £5,799 |
Please note that prices may not be 100% accurate for dates outside of the current calendar year. For an accurate quote, please enquire.
Reviews
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Thank you for a very memorable Christmas
A perfect family Christmas in a perfect family house - faded elegance with a warm, welcoming ambience the 16 of us and 4 dogs will never forget. Hope we can repeat the experience another year.
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It was absolutely incredible!
It was absolutely incredible, we had the best weekend ever, everyone loved the house, when I walked in and saw the place it was so much more than I had dreamed of!
The caterer was fantastic, the meal was delicious and the team were so friendly and helpful, Don played photographer for part of the evening too and although I didn't get much of a chance to chat to him several of my friends did and were full of compliments, I can't recommend them highly enough!
Ian was brilliant too, so friendly and helpful without being intrusive, it couldn't have been better! -
Our stay in Old Argyll House
Just to let you know we thoroughly enjoyed our recent stay in Old Argyll House. We just loved the house it was gorgeous. Despite the time of year it was warm and welcoming and had everything we needed to keep the young and young at heart among us occupied and amused (the snooker and table tennis being favourites!). It was our first time doing something like this and such a success we plan on making it an annual event, we wouldn't hesitate in coming back to Old Argyll House.
Don't miss out! Reserve now and get a full refund if you change your mind within 48hrs.