Inveraray Castle

Inveraray Castle
Inveraray, Argyll, Scotland, United Kingdom
Inveraray Castle in 2014
Inveraray Castle
Coordinates	56°14′15″N 5°04′24″W / 56.2375°N 5.073333°W / 56.2375; -5.073333Coordinates: 56°14′15″N 5°04′24″W / 56.2375°N 5.073333°W / 56.2375; -5.073333
Grid reference	grid reference NN095092
Site information
Open to the public	Yes
Site history
Materials	Stone
Events
Listed Building – Category A
Designated	20 July 1971
Reference no.	11552

Inveraray Castle (Scottish Gaelic Caisteal Inbhir Aora, pronounced [ˈkʰaʃtʲal iɲɪɾʲˈɯːɾə]) is a country house near Inveraray in the county of Argyll, in western Scotland, on the shore of Loch Fyne, Scotland’s longest sea loch.

It has been the seat of the Dukes of Argyll, chiefs of Clan Campbell, since the 18th century.

Work on the castle began in 1743 and replaced an earlier 15th-century castle. In October 1746 the foundation stone was laid. Built in Gothic Revival style, later additions included a third floor with dormer windows and steep conical roofs. The village of Inveraray was moved in the 1770s to give the castle a more secluded setting.

Designers who worked on the house include William Adam and Roger Morris; the interior includes a number of neoclassical rooms created for the 5th Duke by Robert Mylne. These are among the rooms open to the public. James Lees-Milne was not impressed by the house when he visited it in 1943, noting the "ugly" grey stone and calling it "grim and forbidding".

In 1975 a devastating fire struck Inveraray and for some time the 12th Duke and his family lived in the castle's basement, while restorations requiring a worldwide fundraising drive were carried out.

The castle is open to visitors. Its collection includes more than 1,300 pikes, muskets, swords and other weapons.

The 13th Duke and his family live in private apartments occupying two floors and set between two of the castle's crenellated circular towers. Recent renovations included the installation of the house's first central heating.