Inveraray Castle

Inveraray Castle is the seat of the Dukes of Argyll, the chiefs of Clan Campbell. The foundation stone of the present building was laid in October 1746; it replaced a 15th-century castle. William Adam and Roger Morris were involved in the design, and Robert Mylne later created neoclassical rooms for the 5th Duke. The castle is regarded as one of the early examples of Gothic Revival and has four round corner towers whose steep conical roofs were added later. It stands on Loch Fyne. The village of Inveraray was demolished in the 1770s and rebuilt a short distance away so that the castle stood in a more open setting.

A major fire badly damaged the castle in 1975; the rebuilding was funded by donations from around the world. Lonely Planet singles out the armoury hall, whose walls are decorated with more than 1,000 pole arms, dirks, muskets and Lochaber axes. Opening times and admission are given on the castle’s website.