Stonefield Castle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Stonefield Castle |
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| Stonefield, Knapdale, Argyll, Scotland | |
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 Stonefield Castle
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| Coordinates | 55°53′29″N 5°24′58″W / 55.891389°N 5.416111°W |
Stonefield Castle is a grand old house in Scotland. It's built in a special style called Scottish baronial, which looks a bit like a castle. You can find it near a small village called Stonefield, close to Tarbert in Argyll & Bute. This beautiful building stands where an older house, named Barmore, used to be. Since 1950, Stonefield Castle has been a hotel, welcoming visitors from all over.
The Story of Stonefield Castle
From Old House to New Castle
The very first house on this spot was called Barmore. It was built by the MacAlister family in the early 1700s. They lived nearby in Tarbert Castle, but it was getting old and falling apart. So, they decided to build a new, more comfortable home.
Later, in 1746, a man named Archibald Campbell bought the Barmore estate. The current Stonefield Castle was built much later, starting in 1837. It was designed by a famous architect from Edinburgh named William Henry Playfair. A man named John Campbell, whose grandfather was a judge, asked Playfair to design it. This new castle replaced the older Barmore house.
Amazing Gardens and Plants
William Henry Playfair didn't just design the castle itself. He also planned many things around the grounds, like bridges and even a fun, decorative building called a folly. He might have even helped decide how the gardens should look.
John Campbell loved plants! He planted many different kinds of Rhododendron and Magnolia flowers. He got the seeds from exciting trips made by his cousin, Archibald Campbell, and another explorer named Joseph Dalton Hooker in 1850. These explorers brought back new and exciting plants from their adventures.
Later generations of the Campbell family continued to care for and add to the amazing plant collection. They were very proud of their gardens. In 1948, the Campbell family sold Stonefield Castle. Just two years later, in 1950, it opened its doors as a hotel.
Today, Stonefield Castle is recognized as a special building. Its beautiful grounds are also very important. They are known as an "important example of a 'west coast' woodland estate" because of their unique design and outstanding collection of plants.
