Kilmory Castle facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kilmory Castle
Kilmory Castle seen from the south-west
Listed Building – Category B
Designated	20 July 1971
Reference no.	LB11039
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Kilmory Castle, also called Kilmory House, is a big house built in the 1800s. You can find it near Lochgilphead on the west coast of Scotland, in a place called Argyll and Bute. Today, it's the main office for the local council, which is like the local government. Its beautiful gardens are open for everyone to visit, and they are part of a lovely country park. The house is also a special "listed building," which means it's protected because of its history and architecture.

A Look Back in Time at Kilmory Castle

Early Days and the Campbell Family

Long, long ago, there was a church at Kilmory. Around the 1550s, the church and its lands belonged to the Abbot of Paisley. By 1575, a man named Donald Campbell of Kilmory owned the estate. His family, the Campbells, kept the land for more than 250 years!

Some people think a house might have been here as early as the 1300s. The Campbell family either built a new house or made the old one much bigger between 1816 and 1820.

The Orde Family and Big Changes

In 1824, Eliza Campbell, who was a daughter and heir of Peter Campbell, married Sir John Orde, 2nd Baronet. After her father died in 1828 and Eliza passed away in 1829, Sir John Orde bought the estate.

Sir John decided to tear down the older Campbell house. He replaced it with a grand new mansion built in the Gothic style. This style looks like old castles or cathedrals. The architect who designed it was Joseph Gordon Davis. Sir John kept some parts of the old house, but he added a lot to it. He also added a large, eight-sided tower at one corner.

Sir John Orde also worked hard to make the gardens and the estate much better. He hired William Jackson Hooker in 1830 to help expand the gardens. More additions were made to the house and grounds in the 1860s.

New Owners and New Uses

Sir John Orde was buried near the house in 1878. His son took over the estate and changed his name to Campbell-Orde in 1880. The Campbell-Orde baronets owned Kilmory until 1938.

After that, the estate had several different owners. It was used as a hotel, a hostel (a place for travelers to stay cheaply), and even a conference center for meetings. In 1949, it was announced that Kilmory would become a national holiday center for young people.

Kilmory as a Council Headquarters

In July 1971, Kilmory Castle was officially named a "category B listed building." This means it's an important historical building that needs to be protected.

In 1974, the local government, Argyll County Council, bought the house. They wanted it to be the main office for the new Argyll and Bute District Council, which started in 1975. Later, in 1995, the local government was reorganized again. Kilmory Castle remained the main office for the new Argyll and Bute council.

To make more space for offices, a new building was added to the house between 1980 and 1982. The next year, a fire damaged the main house. Many of the rooms inside had to be repaired and made new again.