Minard Castle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Minard Castle |
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Minard Castle from the South East
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| Built | 19th century |
Minard Castle is a large house built to look like a castle. It is from the 1800s and sits on the north-western shore of Loch Fyne. This beautiful loch is in Argyll and Bute, a region on the west coast of Scotland. The castle is part of the area known as Kilmichael Glassary.
You can find Minard Castle just south of the small village of Minard. The building you see today is actually an older house that was made much bigger. This expansion happened around 1848. The famous architect John Thomas Rochead designed these changes.
What is Minard Castle?
Minard Castle is not a real medieval castle. It is a grand house built in the 19th century. It was designed to look like a castle, with special features called castellations. These are the parts that look like the top of a castle wall, with gaps for archers.
The house is located on a piece of land called Minard Point. This point sticks out into Minard Bay, which is south of the village of Minard.
How Minard Castle Changed Over Time
Minard Castle started as a house called Knockbuie House. The Campbell family built it in the 1700s. In the mid-1800s, it was renamed Minard Castle. At this time, a new front was added that looked like a castle.
In 1842, the house was rebuilt in a style called Tudor Revival. This style copied the look of buildings from the Tudor period in England. John Thomas Rochead was the architect for this big project.
Later, in 1850, a person named William Hamilton made the house even larger. He added a new front section with many big rooms.
Who Owned Minard Castle?
Over the years, Minard Castle had several owners. One famous owner was John Pender. He was a Scottish pioneer in laying submarine communications cables. These cables helped send messages across oceans!
In the late 1940s, the castle was sold to the Forestry Commission. This is a group that manages forests. After that, it was bought by the Holiday Fellowship. They used Minard Castle as a hotel for many years.
