While folklore may suggest a pot of gold rests at the rainbow’s end, those who journey to the ancestral seat of the powerful Clan Campbell can attest it is in the emerald-hued fortress found along the shores of the Loch Fyne, where treasure truly abounds.
Scottish history is laced with tales of derring-do and adventure involving clans, the kinship groups whose common bonds have endured for centuries as a source of pride and identity. One of these families, Clan Campbell, has been an integral part of the Argyll area since they first arrived here as members of a royal exploration party in the early thirteenth century. This land has served as the ancestral seat of the Dukes of Argyll and the Chiefs of Clan Campbell ever since.
Though the Campbells first settled in Loch Aweside, they moved to Inveraray, situated along the banks of Loch Fyne, in 1450 and erected the first castle on that site. The present edifice was initially inspired by an early-eighteenth century drawing by Sir John Vanbrugh, who designed both Blenheim Palace and Castle Howard in England. When he died shortly thereafter, the project was passed to architects Roger Morris and William Adam, and construction began in 1746. The castle—built of green chlorite schist, a locally sourced stone—is an amalgam of several styles: a blend of Palladian, Gothic, and Baroque elements that combine to form a unique and majestic fortress. A restoration after a fire in 1877 added a third floor, as well as cone-shaped roofs to the corner towers.
Inveraray Castle serves as the home of the current Duke and Duchess of Argyll, who embrace their roles as both sustainers of the family legacy and stewards of the castle. The interiors brim with opulence, from the gold-embellished State Dining Room, with its elaborate wall paintings, to the Parisian-style Tapestry Drawing Room, adorned with the exquisite Beauvais tapestries that inspired the space. Visitors often stand entranced before the spectacular collection of Oriental and European porcelain displayed in the China Turret. In the Saloon stands a grand piano, where the noted songwriting team of Lerner and Loewe composed some of the songs for their musical My Fair Lady while staying here.
Inveraray’s 16-acre garden is equally enchanting, with two acres devoted to formal lawns and bedding plants. On either side of a central walk, paths known as the Flag Borders are laid out in a Saint Andrew’s Cross pattern. Azaleas and rhododendrons thrive in the area’s rain-rich climate, as do roses, daffodils, and heather, and when these elements are paired with the myriad shrubs and trees that permeate the Inveraray property, they perfectly complement this storied castle, nestled amid the splendor of Scotland’s West Highlands.
Text Karen Callaway and Audra Shalles
Photography Stephanie Welbourne Steele
Styling Melissa Sturdivant Smith
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