With its own boathouse, 230 yards of foreshore on Loch Fyne, a private island, plus regular sightings of whales and beavers as neighbours — Castleton estate really is a haven for those who love the outdoors.
If the dream is an active sporting lifestyle with total privacy, the Castleton estate on Loch Fyne, Argyll, on Scotland’s wild west coast, could be just the ticket at ‘offers over £1.95m’ through Knight Frank. The picturesque, 68-acre estate stands on the northern shore of Loch Fyne, 2½ miles from the coastal town of Lochgilphead and 39 miles south of Oban, the principal commercial centre for north Argyll and the Inner Hebrides.
Castleton offers walking, cycling, sailing, wild swimming, kayaking, horse riding and golf all on the doorstep, with boating on the estate itself, via its own private boat house and pier with 230 yards of foreshore frontage to Loch Fyne.
For serious sailors, nearby Crinan harbour offers sheltered yacht moorings.
The area is renowned for its rare and abundant wildlife, with whales, dolphins and basking sharks regular offshore visitors in the summer months, and the nearby Knapdale Forest has been home to beavers since 2009. Castleton itself is home to red squirrels, otters, deer and a wide variety of birdlife; sightings of sea eagles are always a source of wonder.
At the heart of the estate, surrounded by mature formal gardens and woodland, stands Category C-listed Castleton House, described by Historic Scotland as ‘a large, well-detailed mid-19th-century dwelling that has been extended in stages.
Built in about 1830, it incorporates an earlier, probably 18th-century building, possibly the home of one of the Duke of Argyll’s tacksmen. The two-storey gabled wing added in 1875 by renowned architects Dick Peddie and Kinnear is particularly fine [and] the distinguished Scots-Baronial wing of 2000 by Crerar and Partners utilises elements drawn from earlier parts of the house’.
The house was formerly part of the Graham-Campbell family’s Shirvan estate, where copper ore was mined between 1862 and 1910. The earliest part of the house, which incorporates a stone tablet initialled J. G. C. and dated 1875, was added by John Graham-Campbell.
Approached by two tree-lined driveways, the house provides 9,235sq ft of luxurious accommodation on three floors, including five reception rooms, nine bedrooms, six bathrooms and a swimming pool.
Worthy of special mention are the majestic drawing room (the former ballroom) with its trompe l’oeil ceiling, panelled billiards room, and oak-panelled library on the first floor. The principal bedroom suite has a terrace with views over the gardens to Loch Fyne.
The gardens at Castleton are an outstanding feature of the estate. To the front of the house, they include extensive lawns with herbaceous borders flanked by mixed mature woodland; to the north, a large walled garden conceals a kitchen garden, an orchard and a tennis court. To the north of the main driveway is a separate block of mainly sitka spruce planted in 1995 and some native woodland, some 28 acres in all.
The idyll that is Castleton is completed by its own 23-acre island, the majestic Eilean Mor, which sits opposite the foreshore of the estate between Glac Mhor Bay and Loch Fyne, with access at low tide on foot or via a short boat-ride from the slipway. In the 1800s, there was a working croft on the island and a thriving herring fishing community in Castleton Bay.
The remains of the croft buildings and the herring-boat piers can still be seen, although, for now, the only occupants of the island are the resident herons. But perhaps not forever, given that a site at the southern end of the island has rare planning consent for a single-storey, one-bedroom stone and slate house, the foundations for which were laid in 2015.
Not only is the consent still active, but a licence is also in place from the Crown Estate to reinstate the island’s pier and pontoon.
Castleton Estate is currently on the market via Knight Frank for offer over £1.95 million — see more pictures, or enquire with the agent for further details.
Lochgilphead: What you need to know
Location: Lochgilphead is a town on the west coast of Scotland. Glasgow Airport is approximately 67 miles away.
Atmosphere: The town is well equipped with several shops, a golf course, hospital and school.
Things to do: We don’t know why you would ever want to leave the estate — with all the is has to offer. So pack up a picnic and head out on the loch for the day where you can access your own private island. If sailing is more your cup of tea, head to Crinan for its sheltered harbour. With just about every outdoor sport available in the area and some incredible wildlife to spot, you’ll be spoilt for choice.
Schools: Ardrishaig Primary School and Lochgilphead High School are the local primary and secondary options in the area.
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