A Highland laird's mansion house situated on Argyll's 'Secret Coast'

Knockdow Estate lies in an oft-forgotten corner of Argyll, among the lochs and rounded hills of the Cowal peninsula – part of Argyll's so-called 'Secret Coast'. The estate runs northward between Loch Striven and Ardyne Burn, taking in the beautiful Inverchaolain Glen rising up to the 2000ft summits of Cruach nan Capull and Leacann nan Gall west of Dunoon.

At the heart of the 250 acre Knockdow Estate is Knockdow House – a very attractive and comprehensively upgraded 12-bedroom mansion just one hour from Glasgow. If you have a cool £2m to spend, then you could have the lot... including two lakes, a former mill pond, outbuildings, pasture and a forest.

Now on the market with Strutt & Parker at a guide price of £1.875m, this magnificent Highland seat was originally owned by a sept of Clan Lamont, one of the oldest of the Scottish clans, for around 600 years.

The Lamonts of Knockdow descended from Godfrey (Gorrie) Lamont who is believed to have been the grandson Lamont Clan Chief John III.

Knockdow House was built in 1760 and was further altered and extended in 1920 by the laird at the time Sir Norman Lamont, one time Permanent Private Secretary to Sir Winston Churchill.

Built of stone under a slate roof, the house itself has been the subject of an extensive restoration and refurbishment project since it was purchased by the current owners in 2010. They have transformed it from being virtually uninhabitable into one of the most outstanding houses on the west coast of Scotland.

The renovation and refurbishment of Knockdow House has seen the installation of a state of the art biomass heating system, a new water filtration system, and comprehensive renewal of the electrical, plumbing and heating systems, whilst ensuring that the unique heritage of the house was retained including most of its original features.

Laid out over three floors, accommodation includes six main reception rooms, three additional reception rooms and 12 bedrooms (11 of which are en-suite including 3 self-contained suites).

A bedroom in the ‘School House’ suite, which used to be the school room, still features a frieze depicting the Monarchs of Scotland.

The stunning centrepiece of Knockdow House is a glorious domed cupola over the Great Hall which is galleried at first floor level and supported by Ionic columns.

The Lamonts also owned significant estates in Trinidad and Tobago; decorated with mahogany, sandalwood and other exotic woods, Knockdow House bears testament to the family’s Caribbean legacy. For example, the main stairwell is lined with timber panelling from Palmiste in Trinidad.

Knockdow House is surrounded by several acres of beautifully kept lawns, parkland and wooded policies, beds of herbaceous shrubs and a variety of mature ornamental deciduous and coniferous trees. Due to the Gulf Stream climate, specialist trees such as eucalyptus, bamboo and palm thrive at Knockdow.

On the south side of the house is an enclosed paved terrace and lawn with a gate leading to the south lawn which can serve as a croquet lawn, cricket pitch and playing field for a variety of games and sports.

And the sporting opportunities don't end there - the combination of woods and topography at Knockdow provide the basis for an informal and enjoyable shoot for mixed game including pheasants, partridges, woodcock and snipe.

The lakes and mill pond also provide fishing for trout and carp, there is a duck flight pond up the hill towards the northern end of the estate, and the forestry and woodland provide the opportunity for roe deer stalking. The occasional red stag or hind has also been accounted for during a dawn or dusk stalking expedition.

For further information, please contact Strutt & Parker’s Edinburgh office on 0131 226 2500 or visit countrylife.onthemarket.com

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