Fans of remote Scottish castles: rejoice! As, at long last, the rejuvenation of the 16th-century Saddell Castle, located by the beach in Kintyre, Argyll and Bute, has been completed. The castle sleeps eight people, and canine companions, if you have them, and is now available to rent, if you would like. With weak and, in places, no mobile signal at all, it looks to be the perfect place for a full digital detox. A steal at just over £20 per person, per night (if you can rustle up seven other guests), the castle offers sweeping coastal views from its windows and crenellated rooftop walk.
Extensive repair works were undertaken to preserve the Category A-listed building and open it for bookings (from August onwards). Along with masonry repairs to the building's exterior, there was a complete reharling in a gauged hot lime mortar. Roofing works were also undertaken and additional bathrooms added inside the castle.
In 1508, it was chosen by the Bishop of Argyll as his new castle and described as ‘a fayre pyle, and a strong,’ as it was located near the shore and the mouth of a small river. The Campbell family took it on in about 1600 and it was theirs for almost 400 years. Best of all, the flooring inside of the front door is removable, so you can booby-trap any unwelcome visitors Scooby-Doo-style, plunging them into a pit below. One of the reviews on the booking website reads ‘a great location for a murder mystery game’ and I wholeheartedly agree, especially if you tell your tipsy guests about the trap-door, but neglect to tell them where it is.
The ancient ruins of a nearby abbey are rife for exploring and full of medieval headstones and effigies marking burial sites, some of which date back to the 1300s and 1400s. The bay that the castle looks over is owned by the conservation charity The Landmark Trust, which means that along with the guests of a nearby mansion and four cottages, the beach is all yours — although you may have to share with an array of sea birds, seals and one very friendly otter, all of whom are regular visitors. Also nearby is The Machrihanish Seabird & Wildlife Observatory, ideal for bird watchers, and there are boat trips around the islands or the Mull of Kintyre, Sanda and Aisla Craig, where more seals and puffins live. If you’re a keen golfer, it’s also an ideal base for the many courses located around Kintyre.
If you don’t plan on booking a holiday there, worry not, as Saddell Castle has two upcoming open days (on September 20 and 21). The remaining five Landmark properties on Saddell Bay will also be open to visitors: Saddell Lodge, Saddell House, Ferryman’s Cottage, Cul-na-Shee (which means ‘nook of peace’ in Gaelic, and where I could imagine myself spending many a cosy night by the fire as the waves rage outside) and Shore Cottage. They are also available to rent for a holiday, or murder mysteries. An Antony Gormley sculpture titled GRIP IV and a bothy are also sites of interest on the coastland.
Caroline Stanford, a historian at The Landmark Trust, said: ‘Saddell Castle was one of Landmark's first restorations in the 1970s and it's great now to have secured its future for another 50 years through this latest hit of comprehensive repair and internal improvements.’
‘Its setting is incredibly romantic, standing proud on a promontory in beautiful Saddell Bay, looking across the Kilbrannan Sound to the Isle of Arran. The wildlife is incredible — you have seals for company and can watch the tide coming in and out over Antony Gormley's sculpture, GRIP IV, which stands on the rocks below.’
More information can be found about staying at Saddell Castle can be found on The Landmark Trust's website.
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