Torosay Estate, Isle of Mull, Argyll, PA65 6AY Offers in excess of £1,650,000

Situation

Historical & Architectural Notes
Torosay Castle was designed by the architect David Bryce, and completed in 1858. Bryce was one of the leading Scottish architects of his time, and the principal exponent of the Scottish Baronial style, of which Torosay is a fine example. Torosay is one of the foremost surviving buildings in rural Scotland by David Bryce.
Bryce’s skill is apparent in both the imposing exterior and the well proportioned and bright interiors of the principal rooms. The fine terraced gardens which surround the castle date from about 1900, and are attributed to Sir Robert Lorimer.
For many generations, this part of Mull was the clan territory of the Macleans of Duart, but in 1689 they succumbed to the powerful Campbells, Dukes of Argyll, and in time their castle was rendered uninhabitable and abandoned. In the 1820s, Torosay Estate was bought by Colonel Campbell, of Possil Park, Glasgow. An 1829 estate map shows clearly the farm square and the walled garden, both of which remain today in altered form, and a much smaller Georgian house on the site where the castle stands today. In the 1850s, Colonel Campbell’s son John demolished the old house and commissioned Bryce to construct a larger one on the same site. The construction of Duart House, as they called it, proved too costly for him, however, and he was forced to sell in 1865. The purchaser was Arbuthnot Charles Guthrie, the great-great-great-uncle of the current owner, Christopher James.
In 1897, Arbuthnot Guthrie died childless and left the property to his youngest nephew, Walter Murray Guthrie. He, appalled by this unexpected legacy, promptly put it on the market.
It was described in the particulars of sale as ‘a substantial and commodious Mansion adapted for a family of rank’. After a visit, however, Murray fell in love with Torosay and withdrew it from sale. He subsequently had the garden improved by the construction of the three Italianate terraces and the Statue Walk that now connect the castle and the old walled garden.
Just before his death in 1911, Murray Guthrie sold Duart Point and the ruins there back to Sir Fitzroy Maclean, 26th Clan Chief. In consequence of the restoration of the old Duart Castle, the family changed the name of their home back to Torosay (Torr rasah meaning hill covered with shrubs).
Murray’s wife Olive died in 1945, and the castle was left to her grandson, David James. In 1972, the castle opened its doors and gardens to the public.
Churchill Connection
Christopher James’s great grandmother Olive was an aunt, by marriage, to Sir Winston Churchill, who was in consequence an occasional visitor. Other guests during this glittering Edwardian heyday included Nellie Melba, Admiral Charles Beresford and Count Benckendorff, the last Imperial Russian Ambassador. Between the Wars, guests included the King of Greece and Angela du Maurier.
Situation
Torosay is in the south east corner of the Isle of Mull, which itself lies just off the west coast of Scotland and is the second largest island of the Inner Hebrides. Farming, fishing, fish farming, forestry and the service sector are major employers, and tourists are numerous in summer, attracted by the wildlife, beaches and the adjacent island of Iona.
Mull has a coastline of about 480 kilometres (300 miles), which is peppered with white sandy beaches, particularly in the south, and dramatic cliffs. The mild climate is moderated by the Gulf Stream, and there are as a result very few frosts, ensuring that a wide variety of plants and trees thrive. The island has a mountainous core, the highest peak being Ben More, which reaches 966m (3,169 ft).
Situation
Torosay is in the south east corner of the Isle of Mull, which itself lies just off the west coast of Scotland and is the second largest island of the Inner Hebrides. Farming, fishing, fish farming, forestry and the service sector are major employers, and tourists are numerous in summer, attracted by the wildlife, beaches and the adjacent island of Iona.
Mull has a coastline of about 480 kilometres (300 miles), which is peppered with white sandy beaches, particularly in the south, and dramatic cliffs. The mild climate is moderated by the Gulf Stream, and there are as a result very few frosts, ensuring that a wide variety of plants and trees thrive. The island has a mountainous core, the highest peak being Ben More, which reaches 966m (3,169 ft).
The island is home to over 250 different bird species including the White-tailed Eagle, which was reintroduced in the nearby Island of Rùm and migrated to Mull, where it now has a stronghold. Minke whales, porpoises and dolphins are among the sea life that can be seen in the seas around Mull.
There are several shipwrecks around the shores which offer scuba diving, and the sailing around the island and the nearby mainland and Hebridean islands is renowned worldwide. The island has two nine hole golf courses, at Tobermory and Craignure.
Craignure offers a range of services for day to day needs including a post office, local convenience store, petrol station and a public house. A more comprehensive range of shops and services can be found in Tobermory, or in Oban. There is one secondary school on the island, at Tobermory, and several primary schools, Lochdonhead being the closest (2 miles). Ferry links to Mull from the mainland include Oban to Craignure (approx. 45 minutes), Lochaline to Fishnish (approx. 15 minutes), and Kilchoan to Tobermory. It is possible to fly to Mull in a private light aircraft using a landing strip near Salen, about 12 miles from Torosay Castle. The nearest railway station is in Oban, next to the ferry terminal. The Fishnish ferry provides convenient access to Fort William, and thus to the sleeper rail service to London.

Description

Torosay is a residential, agricultural, sporting and coastal estate extending to about 469 acres in all. It has been in the seller’s family since 1865.
The focus of the estate is the Category A listed Torosay Castle, situated on the shores of Duart Bay, and surrounded by a designed landscape of formal gardens, extensive parkland and policies, and diverse woodland. The sale includes over 2.5 miles of coastline including some foreshore, as well as a beach, jetty and boathouse. There are eight secondary estate properties, various development opportunities, and potential for an in-hand farming enterprise. The sport is varied, with pheasant and woodcock shooting, and the woodlands are home to many large red deer stags.
Torosay Castle. The existing room layout suits the current combination of a family home and a commercial enterprise. However, it would be possible to revert to the former layout of service rooms on the ground floor, reception rooms on the principal floor, and the main bedrooms on the first floor, with three further bedrooms and a bathroom off the secondary staircase in the tower, and five attic rooms.
Most of the castle exterior was extensively refurbished in the 1990s. Work included the renewal of leadwork, replacement of rotten stonework, joint re-pointing, chimney repairs and gutter and downpipe replacement. The wiring and plumbing have been regularly overhauled. The castle requires further refurbishment. The castle accommodation is laid out over three floors, as shown on the plans. The principal floor is accessed from outside via a large wooden door to the front hall, which has a tiled floor, a door leading to the ground floor accommodation, and a short staircase leading up to the central hall. Here there is an open fireplace with a marble surround, and parquet flooring which continues through into the dining room. The dining room can seat up to 20, and has spectacular views out to sea. There is a wood burning stove, and an adjoining butler’s pantry or flower room. The library has fitted bookshelves, and fine views over the garden.
A door which connected the dining room with the library has been closed off to provide ornament cabinets, but could be reinstated. The drawing room is generously proportioned, and also enjoys fine garden views. A door at the far end of the drawing room leads through to the former private suite of boudoir, bedroom, dressing room and bathroom. The boudoir doubled as a small sitting room while the fires in the principal rooms were lit and the house warmed up. The Laird’s Suite is on the first floor, with a kitchen and a sitting room created from two former bedrooms. The kitchen enjoys fine views over the sea, and charming glimpses of Duart Castle through a curved window in the tower. There are fitted wall and floor units with lime wood worktops, sourced from trees felled on Torosay, and a dining area by the largest window. The whole room benefits from a solid fuel stove, which also provides hot water and some central heating. Next door there is a utility room and cloakroom. Off the hallway are the sitting room, five bedrooms, two bathrooms and a dressing room.
Off the rear stairwell are three bedrooms a shower room, access to attic rooms, and a spiral staircase to the tower roof. The ground floor of the castle has four offices, a laundry, wine cellars, and two rooms presently used as tea rooms for the visiting public, one with a servery and direct access from the garden. The Housekeeper’s Flat beyond has a sitting room, bedroom, kitchen, and shower room, as well as a utility/freezer room. A self-contained flat known as Little Torosay lies within the east wing of the castle. Over a single storey, the accommodation comprises a sitting room with garden access, kitchen, two bedrooms and a bathroom. This was formerly the servants’ hall and kitchen wing, and a food lift to the servery adjacent to the dining room could be reinstated if required.
Please note the majority of the furniture has been removed.

Accommodation

Formal Garden
There are about 12 acres of gardens at Torosay within a deer fence. These extend between the castle and the shores of Duart Bay. They are the culmination of many generations of work and planting, and the quality and historic value of the gardens and policies. The designed landscape at Torosay is recognised in its listing within Historic Scotland’s ‘Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes in Scotland’.
Little remains of the garden described in the 1897 particulars of sale, and the form of the garden today originates from 1900 when Murray Guthrie had the series of three Italianate formal terraces and the flanking gazebos constructed. Murray also imported, from a deserted villa near Padua in northern Italy, the 19 life-sized limestone figures sculpted by Antonio Bonazza which flank the impressive Statue Walk. These are separately – A’ listed in their own right. The marble statue of Artemesia, which stands alone and gives the name to the circular White Lady Lawn to the western side of the Castle, is attributed to the sculptor John Gibson. The bronze fountain on the Fountain Lawn is a copy of an original Italian model, and is flanked by two lead urns. The walls of this terrace are covered with roses. Herbaceous flowers, irises, peonies and hydrangeas fill the flower beds.
The Lion Terrace has a magnificent show of clematis in May and hydrangeas and eucryphia in August. Below the two marble lions, – Smiler’ and – Growler’, is an extensive lawn which ends in a low wall covered by climbing roses and topped by 18 marble urns, usually filled with geraniums. This was conceived as a games area, with tennis court and croquet lawn, but has also proved wide enough to be used on occasion by visiting helicopters.
In the 1970s, the colonnade and rotunda replaced greenhouses in the walled garden, and an Oriental Garden was formed in a former – wet hole’. Eucalyptus trees were planted, and notably survive today, providing a charming and sheltered walk. More recent restorative work has included the cleaning of the Water Garden pond, and reinstatement work on the Eas Mor burn, a natural waterway which flows through a stone pitched channel. The Walled Garden lies below the terraces. Designed to supply the estate with vegetables, it is now mostly devoted to decorative planting and herbaceous borders, but still includes a small area put down to organic fruit production. The sundial bears the Campbell family crest and dates from the period 1822 to 1865.
As a long established garden, Torosay benefits from mature trees, notably Silver firs and Western Red cedars, as well as arange of more recent planting, much of which is very diverse and reflects the mild maritime climate. Rhododendrons are in flower from January to August, but year round interest has always been emphasised. Notable plants include Echium, a tremendous specimen of Cornus capitata, Embothrium, the very rare Latua, Lapageria and many more. From the Gardener’s Cottage there are magnificent views over the red bridge of the Oriental Garden to Duart Castle, Loch Linnhe and the mountains of Appin and Lorn; the most prominent of which is Ben Cruachan, famous for its twin peaks and subterranean hydro-electric power station. Below the cottage are a potting shed and two polytunnels.
Foreshore
The link between Torosay and the sea is evident from many of the castle rooms, with views of Duart Bay, Duart Castle and the sea filling the windows. In total there are over 2.5 miles of coastline, and the legal ownership includes the foreshore (between the high and low water mark) along over half of its length. Otters are often seen along the shore, and dolphins occasionally visit the bay. There is a private stone slipway into Duart Bay. Even at low tide, it has a 3 to 4 ft draw. The stone built boat house is semi-derelict. There is a little sandy beach below Shore Cottage, and a short distance away a stone built former ladies bathing hut which could have potential for restoration, subject to the necessary consents. A small trial has been undertaken here to test the production of Pacific oysters, and it has been awarded an A/B classification by the Food Standards Agency.
Estate Diversification
Of the eight estate cottages and flats, two have been used as holiday cottages. Gardener’s Cottage is located within the formal gardens at the castle, and Shore Cottage is about half a mile from the castle. The business is classified as 3-star self-catering by the Scottish Tourist Board. The cottages were let principally on a weekly basis, with some shorter breaks being offered during off-peak times. The cottages are popular and were let briskly, at about 65% occupancy (2009/10).
Torosay is a licensed wedding venue, though the family have tended to concentrate on the tourism arm of the business and as a result only a few weddings have been hosted each year. There is no legal obligation to continue with public access to either the castle or the gardens. The gardens are currently open all year round, and an adventure playground has been created for children. Torosay merchandise is sold to visitors in a timber built shop near the castle gates, and – Torosay’ is a registered trademark which may be transferred by agreement to the new proprietor.
Estate Properties
Gardener’s Cottage A traditional period cottage with a slate roof, Gardener’s Cottage benefits from very pretty views over the Oriental Garden and out to sea. The cottage occupies the upper storey of a traditional stone building, the lower rooms being garden workshops and stores, but capable of conversion should a larger cottage be required. The existing cottage has two bedrooms, an open plan kitchen and sitting room, and a shower room.
Shore Cottage Shore Cottage lies out of sight of the castle, and has magnificent views over the bay to Duart. The accommodation, over a single storey, comprises a sitting room and kitchen in the original stone built and slate roofed cottage, with a bedroom and bathroom added in 1988. In 2007, plans were prepared for an extension, for a bigger bedroom and bathroom, and a utility room and entrance porch. No formal planning application was submitted, however, and interested parties should take their own advice on any proposals. The cottage is let on a Short Assured Tenancy.
Log Cabin
Erected in 2006, the log cabin is situated behind the old boathouse, and comprises a verandah, kitchen, bedroom and two store rooms. It forms the ideal base for picnics, barbeques or shooting lunches.
Dorran Bungalow
Lying next to the main drive, this detached cottage has three bedrooms, a sitting room, a kitchen and a bathroom.
An additional Dorran bungalow near the Farm Square has been demolished. However, it may be possible to seek planning permission for its replacement, perhaps on a new site at the entrance gates, where there is not currently a lodge. No formal applications have been made.
Farm Square
This B listed range of buildings lies to the north-west of the castle, behind a decorative screen wall and clock tower. It is currently in residential, agricultural and estate use. Of traditional stone construction, it incorporates five residential properties as follows:
– East row of three semi-detached cottages
– Two flats (each 1 bedroom)
– The Old Coach House
In addition there is stabling for two horses, and stores.
Designed Landscape including Woodlands
The designed landscape of Torosay dates largely from the period between 1830 and 1880. Beyond the formal garden element of the landscape lie mainly policy woodlands and parkland grazings.
The parkland lies to the north of the castle where it is enclosed by woodland, to the shores of Duart Bay in the east, and between the formal gardens and the public road. The fields are grazed in hand by estate sheep, cattle and ponies. The policy woodlands extend in all to around 180 acres, and are laid out mainly to the north of the castle along the private drive to Craignure. This former castle entrance follows the coastline and ends at the public road at the North Lodge, just on the edge of the village. The woodland along this route is composed of mature hardwoods and some conifers, interspersed with extensive and varied replanting undertaken over the last 20 years. Heavy infestation of rhododendrons has been recently cleared. There are also several woods to the southeast, planted to create a wooded outlook when seen from the south side of the castle. Two woods contain notable plant collections; Scian is almost an annexe of the garden, being best viewed from the West Walk, and has been planted with unusual conifers and rhododendrons, whilst the five acre Chilean Wood has been planted with rare and endangered material, collected from the wild and provided by the Royal Botanical Gardens in Edinburgh. There are various Woodland Grant Schemes in place to allow the on going management and improvement of the woodlands.
Farming Enterprise
The in hand farm extends to about 256 acres of grazing, of which about 22 acres may be cut for hay or silage.
Sportings
The woods are laid out not only for amenity and stock shelter, but also to provide exciting drives for driven pheasants. Notable for this are Scian, the Hedgehog Wood, and the Railway Bank, facing west, while the Railway Bank facing east can on occasion produce plentiful woodcock. The shooting potential has not been heavily exploited, with only 200 birds put down in 2009, and 400 in 2010, so there is considerable opportunity to expand this activity, and to establish new drives in the woods to the south of the Castle. In addition, there is a transient population of deer on the estate, including many large red deer stags.

Directions

Turn left on disembarking the ferry at Craignure, taking the A849 towards Bunessan and Fionnphort. About a mile south of the village, the entrance gates to Torosay Castle will be seen on the left. Continue through the iron gates at the castle to the gravel parking area at the front door.