Argyll Mill
Like it? Add to favourites to compare and share
Overview
The Mill has recently been restored, and was christened by its first guests as “The Wow Factory”. With rooms on four levels, it will accommodate up to maximum of 18 adults and up to 22 (including 4 young children) guests in total, in real style.
The main feature is the open plan (80m2) ground floor reception area which opens up from a fabulous kitchen, through the dining area with vaulted ceiling, into a generous living/lounging area with open fireplace. The dining and lounge areas feature the original exposed stone wall and light floods through a large glass archway incorporating the main house entrance into the courtyard.
All the reception areas on ground and mezzanine levels are tiled in a natural riven slate that goes beautifully with the old stone walls and new white plaster walls, with underfloor heating throughout the house provided by an environmentally sustainable ground source heat pump. The stone fireplace features the saw bench from the original mill as the mantelpiece. Some of the bedrooms have quite quirky layouts and they are generally smaller than the bedrooms in the other properties within the estate. However, they all have the same quality of goose-down feather pillow and duvet, the same gorgeous linen and the same quality mattresses.
A river runs through the grounds. The facilities include a shared indoor swimming pool and a tennis court (although both of these can be privatised for certain hours in the day). Two other properties are located within the estate but both are entirely independent so your group will have privacy.
| Good news! This property is available as a Vill’otel |
|---|
Yey! Wait… what is that? What’s included? |
What you should know…
- It is part of a larger estate.
- Some of the bedrooms are small but the comfy beds make up for it.
This home is a part of our Great Value Collection!
Our great value homes:
- may be traditionally styled for a laid back feeling
- may have some simple amenities and features
- mean that you can enjoy top holiday destinations for less!
Property Features
The large stylish contemporary kitchen area features a granite work surface throughout, twin stainless steel sinks and two dishwashers, two electric ovens, a large American style fridge freezer, and gadgets galore. There’s a kitchen table for eight – expandable to sit a comfortable 12 – and a breakfast bar for up to six. The separate utility room features washing machine and drier, an additional large fridge and freezer, and extra storage. As well as the stunning main open plan reception area, the ground floor also features a utility room, a loo, and a separate TV room-cum-play room with 42 inch flat screen LCD TV with full Sky plus package; this room has its own access to the garden and to a sandstone terrace facing the river. An additional South-facing sitting room on the mezzanine floor gives access through a pair of french doors onto another terrace with garden furniture and to the private rear garden, river and woods. Guests also have access to a separate games cottage with snooker, darts and table tennis, shared with Argyll Barn.
There are nine bedrooms altogether, each offering double or twin accommodation. The bedroom layout makes the most of the available space to maximize the number of guests we can accommodate. As well as five ordinary doubles, there are two bunk rooms, a family room sleeping up to five people, and one room that can be set as a twin, a super king, or a triple. While none of the rooms are enormous, four of them have either additional bunks or fold-away beds to increase the overall capacity to 22 including children. The six main bedrooms all have stylish contemporary wash-hand basins. Four bedrooms feature raised platform beds with storage underneath. There are three stunning bathrooms, with wall to wall travertine marble walls and slate floors, two of which feature jacuzzi baths, and a separate sauna.
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.
Location
About the surrounding area of Argyll MillAlthough 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 and Toddler Equipment
- Mattress protector
- Baby bath
- Bath toys
- 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
- Climbing frame
- 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
| Good news! For a little extra, This property is available as a Vill’otel |
|---|
With a vill’otel holiday, you can enjoy all these services throughout your stay: Interested? |
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.
To arrange any of these services, contact Oliver's VIP Concierge Team.
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
| 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 | Friday |
| 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 14 people:
| Rental period | 2 Nights | 3 Nights | 4 Nights | 5 Nights | Weekly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 2nd 2023 - Jun 30th 2023 | £3,220 | £3,758 | £4,295 | £4,295 | £4,295 |
| Jun 30th 2023 - Sep 1st 2023 | £3,758 | £4,295 | £4,833 | £4,833 | £4,833 |
| Sep 1st 2023 - Sep 30th 2023 | £3,220 | £3,758 | £4,295 | £4,295 | £4,295 |
| Sep 30th 2023 - Oct 13th 2023 | £3,005 | £3,543 | £3,758 | £3,758 | £3,758 |
| Oct 13th 2023 - Nov 3rd 2023 | £3,220 | £3,758 | £4,295 | £4,295 | £4,295 |
| Nov 3rd 2023 - Dec 18th 2023 | £2,575 | £3,113 | £3,220 | £3,220 | £3,220 |
| Dec 18th 2023 - Dec 25th 2023 | - | - | - | - | £6,176 |
| Dec 25th 2023 - Jan 5th 2024 | - | - | - | - | £7,257 |
| Jan 5th 2024 - Feb 9th 2024 | £2,575 | £3,113 | £3,220 | £3,220 | £3,220 |
| Feb 9th 2024 - Feb 16th 2024 | £3,220 | £3,758 | £4,295 | £4,295 | £4,295 |
| Feb 16th 2024 - Feb 27th 2024 | £2,575 | £3,113 | £3,220 | £3,220 | £3,220 |
| Feb 27th 2024 - Mar 29th 2024 | £3,005 | £3,543 | £3,758 | £3,758 | £3,758 |
| Mar 29th 2024 - Apr 15th 2024 | £3,220 | £3,758 | £4,295 | £4,295 | £4,295 |
| Apr 15th 2024 - May 24th 2024 | £3,005 | £3,543 | £3,758 | £3,758 | £3,758 |
| May 24th 2024 - Jun 28th 2024 | £3,220 | £3,758 | £4,295 | £4,295 | £4,295 |
| Jun 28th 2024 - Aug 30th 2024 | £3,758 | £4,295 | £4,833 | £4,833 | £4,833 |
| Aug 30th 2024 - Sep 28th 2024 | £3,220 | £3,758 | £4,295 | £4,295 | £4,295 |
| Sep 28th 2024 - Oct 11th 2024 | £3,005 | £3,543 | £3,758 | £3,758 | £3,758 |
| Oct 11th 2024 - Nov 1st 2024 | £3,220 | £3,758 | £4,295 | £4,295 | £4,295 |
| Nov 1st 2024 - Dec 3rd 2024 | £2,575 | £3,113 | £3,220 | £3,220 | £3,220 |
Please note that these prices/rates are a guide only and may not be correct at the current date. For an accurate quote, please enquire.
Reviews
-
We had a fab time.
Firstly, may I say how amazing your location is. The site is lovely, the gardens are amazing and the swimming pool was the highlight of our children's holiday!I would rate every single item a 5, except for staff on site, I would give them a 20! They were amazing,very friendly,very helpful and lovely to talk to. We had the most relaxing 7 days at the mill house. After so long without seeing family, it was lovely to be together. The children had no shortage of things to do,I think their favourite was running from the hot tub to the river and back again! The games cottage provided plenty of entertainment too.
The mill house itself was fab. The family space downstairs was perfect, the kitchen well equipped and the sofas super comfy. The bedrooms were good too, we knew they would ve smal, but they were comfy and let's face it, a comfy night is the most important! I would really love to come back, maybe not next year but in a couple of years time as the week we spent at holds some very happy memories. Thank you for having us, your on site managers are awesome. -
This is a magical place
The house is charming and the views breathtaking. Had a great time quad biking and found some wonderful bike rides. Loved the stream and woods around the house. Meal times were the only times we saw the children. Our dogs have had the time of their lives, too!!
-
Thank you
Everyone had a magnificent time in this magnificent house.
-
Fantastic, Fantastic, Fantastic!
For my big brother’s 50th, what a fantastic house, fantastic setting, and beautiful surroundings.
-
It was the most excellent party location
An amazing place in an amazing location. We definitely want to come back (in fact we don’t want to leave…) A great place to celebrate our 30th birthdays.
-
5*
Excellent Break
-
Amazing family holiday
Our stay at Argyll Mill was fantastic. The house was beautiful, clean and spacious. We particularly liked the open plan kitchen/dining/living area. The sauna and outdoor hot tub were also a treat and meant there was plenty to keep children and adults busy. Thank you for such a great stay!
-
The house was perfect
The best thing – The house was perfect. Dining Room and Living Room were spacious and sociable. We got plenty of use from the BBQ and Hot Tub
-
We were blown away by its stunning views and decor
All of the guests had a fantastic time at the house and were blown away by its stunning views and decor
The barn was lovely and tidy when we arrived and supplied everything we needed for our stay! There were a few loose tiles but apart from that the barn was a stunning place to spend the weekend!
The upstairs and bedroom area was lovely and there was plenty of room for all of us! We especially liked how each room was different and the beds were extremely comfortable!
Downstairs was beautiful and a lovely area to relax and socialise in! The kitchen area was great and we had everything we needed in there! The large seating area was extremely comfortable
We enjoyed using the pool and hot tub an excellent way to relax on our weekend break
The house was what we expected and more! It really was a great luxury house with excellent features
I would say the barn was great value for money and there is plenty to do and the house supplied all things we needed for cooking and plenty to keep us busy
I would especially like to thank the kind staff who were extremely helpful when there was a problem with the water supply and when there was not enough toilet roll! I was very pleased with their kindness and ability to help us straight away
Don't miss out! Reserve now and get a full refund if you change your mind within 48hrs.
