Tag Archives: Ardkinglas Estate

Argyll’s Ardkinglas Railway

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Another corner of Argyll’s complex heritage involves the lost railway at Ardkinglas, Cairndow at the western head of the Cowal peninsula.

This was a narrow gauge estate railway built to serve the Ardkinglas Estate on the shores of Loch Fyne, the longest sea loch in the UK, all but severing Argyll. The railway ran along the shore of the loch from a boat house at Caspian.

It was built as a transportation system for the estate and as a garden toy for the estate’s 17th Laird, George Livingston-Campbell-Callander. It was operated by a single steam locomotive with rolling stock consisting of an open passenger carriage and several wagons.

The railway was dismantled around 1900 and the equipment sold. The boiler from the locomotive was still in situ on the beach at Tayvallich on Loch Sween until the early 1950s.

The Campbeltown and Machrihanish LIght Railway by Nigel MacMillan, pubished in 1970 by David and Charles is a useful source on this and other of Argyll’s past railways.

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House Tours and Guided Walks at the Ardkinglas Estate, Cairndow

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Ardkinglas House, a neo-baronial mansion was designed and built in 1907 by Robert Lorimer, one of Scotland’s leading architects of the day. The house, its renowned Gardens and its extensive estate with a four mile frontage on upper Loch Fyne and extending the length of Glen Fyne to Ben Lui, has a track record as a film location.

The Estate runs:

  • Friday tours of Ardkinglas Houseat 2.30pm every Friday afternoon from April 3rd until 30th October. £6 per person
  • Saturday tours of Ardkinglas House at 11.00am on the last Saturday of each month frm May to September. £6 per person
  • Guided Policy Walks led by Alastair MacCallum – a choice of three in a scheduled programme from April. Details of each walk are below. The 2009 schedule will be added shortly.

Guided Policy Walks

Heritage Walk round the policies of Ardkinglas with information on estate activities over the last 100 years. Fairly easy walk but stout footwear required. £4 per person

Glen Fyne Walk to the head of Glen Fyne. Drive part way up Glen Fyne then walk 3.5 miles to the head of the glen and return by same route. Gentle walking on paths and uneven surfaces. Stout footwear required. £5 per person

Newton Hill Walk Drive part way up Glen Fyne. Walk to top of Newton Hill (422m) – good views. A more challenging walk. Some steep inclines and rough ground. £5 per person

Group Bookings: The Estate is happy to arrange bookings for Groups of 8 or more for a house tour or a guided walk at times to suit you.

Boooking Details: for House Tours, Walks or Group Bookings, please contact Ardkinglas Estate Office – by phone on 01499 600261; by Fax on 01499 600241; or by email at info@ardkinglas.com

Tour of Ardkinglas House, Cairndow

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Ardkinglas House, a neo-baronial mansion was designed and built in 1907 by Robert Lorimer, one of Scotland’s leading architects of the day. The house, its renowned Gardens and its extensive estate with a four mile frontage on upper Loch Fyne and extending the length of Glen Fyne to Ben Lui, has a track record as a film location.

The Estate runs tours of Ardkinglas House on the last Saturday of every month, at 11.00am, from May until September.

Entrance fee: £6 per person. To book, please contact Ardkinglas Estate Office – by phone on 01499 600261; by Fax on 01499 600241; or by email at info@ardkinglas.com

Tour of Ardkinglas House, Cairndow

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Ardkinglas House, a neo-baronial mansion was designed and built in 1907 by Robert Lorimer, one of Scotland’s leading architects of the day. The house, its renowned Gardens and its extensive estate with a four mile frontage on upper Loch Fyne and extending the length of Glen Fyne to Ben Lui, has a track record as a film location.

The Estate runs tours of Ardkinglas House every Friday afternoon at 2:30pm from April 3rd until 30th October.

Entrance fee: £6 per person. To book, please contact Ardkinglas Estate Office – by phone on 01499 600261; by Fax on 01499 600241; or by email at info@ardkinglas.com

Tour of Ardkinglas House, Cairndow

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Ardkinglas House, a neo-baronial mansion was designed and built in 1907 by Robert Lorimer, one of Scotland’s leading architects of the day. The house, its renowned Gardens and its extensive estate with a four mile frontage on upper Loch Fyne and extending the length of Glen Fyne to Ben Lui, has a track record as a film location.

The Estate runs tours of Ardkinglas House every Friday afternoon at 2:30pm from April 3rd until 30th October.

Entrance fee: £6 per person. To book, please contact Ardkinglas Estate Office – by phone on 01499 600261; by Fax on 01499 600241; or by email at info@ardkinglas.com

Tour of Ardkinglas House, Cairndow

Posted on by

Ardkinglas House, a neo-baronial mansion was designed and built in 1907 by Robert Lorimer, one of Scotland’s leading architects of the day. The house, its renowned Gardens and its extensive estate with a four mile frontage on upper Loch Fyne and extending the length of Glen Fyne to Ben Lui, has a track record as a film location.

The Estate runs tours of Ardkinglas House every Friday afternoon at 2:30pm from April 3rd until 30th October.

Entrance fee: £6 per person. To book, please contact Ardkinglas Estate Office – by phone on 01499 600261; by Fax on 01499 600241; or by email at info@ardkinglas.com

Heritage Lottery Fund awards Cairndow’s Here We Are Centre £49,900

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The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) has awarded £49,900 to the development trust organisation, Here We Are, at the head of Loch Fyne, to investigate the social history of formerly tied houses at Cairndow.

Congratulating the organisation on its success, Argyll’s MSP, Jim Mather says: ‘This is a most welcome award by the Heritage Lottery Fund and the team at Here We Are are to be congratulated in bringing £49,900 into Argyll and Bute, especially at this time of time of financial constraint.

‘As well as stimulating interest locally in the history of the houses – which were at one time owned by the Ardkinglas Estate – and the people who lived in them, this will be an attraction to visitors to the area, especially if they have family connections. It  will also generally enhance the tourist experience.

‘I look forward to the Our Houses-Their Stories project fulfilling the ambition not only to  create a complete record of the buildings, their inhabitants through photographs, oral and written records, plans, maps and family trees, but also, offer the opportunity to learn new skills such as the conserving of paper and photographic records and how to record oral history, and in doing so bringing together all sections of the community’.