Old Argyll House

Description

Old Argyll House, a substantially equipped holiday home in Scotland for up to 18 guests, sits amid 2.5 acres of private gardens on Holy Loch in Trossachs National Park. The landscapes on the peninsula are stunning, starting with the property's streams, waterfalls and tall trees planted by the Younger family who founded the nearby Benmore Botanic Gardens. This area is famed for its walks, and you can take several spectacular routes into the Forest Park straight from the house.

Nearby, you'll find every outdoor activity you'd want, including fishing, riding, shooting, golf, sailing and cycling. We've provided fishing rods, bikes and golf club sets to get you started.

There's also plenty to do on site, with lawn games like croquet, cricket, badminton and a trampoline. A midge machine keeps things pleasant as you play or barbecue. Inside, there's a sauna, games room, snooker room and downstairs snug with TV, DVD and Sky.

Built in 1693, this classic Scottish holiday home has 8 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms, so your large group will feel comfortable. Only 1.5 hours from Glasgow via the M8 and a ferry, the house is 10 minutes from Dunoon and 70 minutes from the Glasgow Airport.
Good news! This property is available as a Vill'otelYey! Wait… what is that?
It's the perfect combo of the privacy of your own personal villa, with all the luxury and convenience of a hotel. What's included?
Breakfast, cleaning, welcome drinks and hamper, plus more! Check the Extras tab for all the details.


#### Features
The house consists of a four star quality standard throughout with 8 bedrooms (5 doubles, two twin or triples, one bunk room) and 3 bathrooms.

With a large sitting room with open fire, wood-panelled dining room with open fire, kitchen-breakfast room with Aga, downstairs snug with big TV, DVD and wood-burner, plus a games room and a separate snooker room, the living accommodation is flexible and comfortable enough to suit most types of parties.
The 2.5 acre garden, like the house, is unique. Originally built by the family of the Duke of Argyll in 1693, the house was owned in Victorian times by the Younger family, who founded the amazing Benmore Gardens a couple of miles away, which still contain the tallest trees in the UK. They also planted a huge variety here. With streams, waterfalls and a huge variety of plants, it's simply a stunning garden.
There's a croquet set, football goal, cricket and badminton sets, a 13 foot trampoline, barbecue and the all important “midge machine” in the garden. As well as the ¾ sized billiard table in its own room, there is a small games room downstairs with a dartboard plus a multifunction entertainment table with table football, air hockey, table tennis, mini-snooker etc. There is also the sauna to enjoy. In addition there is a great selection of games and jigsaws as well as a pretty decent library and over 100 CDs. The snug features a 32” widescreen TV with CD surround-sound, Sky Sports & Movies plus a variety of videos and DVDs.

#### Location
The house is situated on the shores of the Holy Loch, adjacent to the Argyll Forest Park, and is perfectly placed for exploring the Cowal peninsula, the West of Scotland generally, and the Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park. Two minutes from the Benmore Botanic Gardens, it is a 10 minute drive from Dunoon, 35 from Inverary, and 40 from Loch Lomond or the Island of Bute. The "long drive" to Glasgow is less than an hour and a half via the M8 and ferry from MacEnroes Point at Gourock. The property is just 70 minutes from Glasgow Airport.
The walking all around is absolutely fantastic, and from the house itself there are half a dozen spectacular routes that take visitors into some magical places in the Forest Park. Guests can do circular routes that take anything from an hour and a half to eight or nine hours. The owners have left maps and guides in the sitting room, and more details are available from the tourist office in Dunoon.
Cycling is a really great way to see the scenery in the area, and the topography is such that riders don't need to do much back-breaking hill work. The owners have equipped the house with 6 kid's bikes of different sizes and a couple for grown ups.
Generally, the property is fantastically positioned to see some of the world's most spectacular scenery. The views are not bad from the house itself, but a drive up to Loch Fyne and down to Loch Lomond, or into the Kyles of Bute, or down the Maccrahanish/Mull of Kintyre peninsula, reveals vistas that are absolutely breathtaking. If the weather is no good, visitors are only 75 minutes from Glasgow by Ferry and M8, and less than 2 hours from Edinburgh if the traffic is okay. They are both great cities to visit.
Benmore Botanic Gardens is only three miles away towards Loch Eck, and are an absolutely amazing set of gardens planted and cared for originally by the Younger family, who previously owned the house. There are also awesome trees, including the tallest in Britain, and a great tea shop.
Strone's pretty, 9 hole golf course is well-signposted, just over a mile away. Innellan is another nice 9 hole course about 15 minutes away. Cowal has 18 holes and is a bit closer, just above Dunoon. There is also a 9 hole course 25 minutes away at Tighnabruich with lovely views up the Kyles of Bute. Visitors are welcome any time there is not a match on all three courses. Guests are welcome to use the four sets of clubs in the house.
The River Eck is one of the most expensive trout stretches in the West of Scotland and mostly carved up by timeshare. Fortunately though, there is a mass of very good value options for both loch and river fishing locally, with daily and weekly permits available. The owners have supplied half a dozen rods and some basic kit, spinning and casting.
The property is really well served with good pubs. Whistlefield Inn and Coylet Inn, up the side of Loch Eck at 10 and 5 minutes respectively, are both highly recommended. The owners have included menus in the house information pack. The more easily walkable pubs are both fine as well, providing big portions of good, basic pub food. Dunoon has dozens of cafes, bars, takeaways and restaurants. The Loch Fyne Oyster Bar trades a bit on reputation price-wise but is a landmark destination in these parts and only about 35 minutes away.