Torrisdale Castle Estate

Torrisdale Castle Estate is a small, family-owned estate on the Kintyre peninsula in Argyll. The castle was begun in 1815 by General Keith Macalister, who hired James Gillespie Graham, a leading architect of the Scottish Gothic style. It was built of sandstone from Wigtownshire, extended to three storeys, and expanded to the north and south in 1903 and 1908 to form the present building.

What you can book

This is self-catering accommodation, and only one unit is in the castle. The former servants’ quarters on the castle’s ground floor were converted into apartments in the 1980s. The Servants’ Quarters apartment sleeps six and has a hot tub and a sauna. Elsewhere on the estate there are two cottages, Garden Cottage and South Lodge, and two eco-bothies, Baker’s Bothy and Shepherd’s Bothy, each sleeping two. Garden Cottage also has a hot tub. All the properties are pet friendly, within reason. So if you want the castle itself, book the Servants’ Quarters.

On the estate

The estate is the home of Beinn an Tuirc Distillers, which makes spirits such as Kintyre Gin and Tarbert Legbiter. Guests can take a tour or spend an afternoon at gin school. A licensed distillery cafe serves home baking, light lunches and afternoon teas, with a terrace for summer dining.

Setting

Torrisdale Bay is a short walk away and suits water sports, wild swimming and wildlife watching. Guests have regularly spotted dolphins, minke whales, seals, otters and a wide variety of sea birds. Kintyre has coastlines, beaches and hills to explore, and the estate makes a quiet base for them.