Taymouth Castle
The Campbells of Breadalbane were
one of Scotland's greatest landowning families.
At its height their estate extended to 437,696 acres
and was over 100 miles long. From Aberfeldy it was
possible to reach the west coast of Scotland without
leaving the Breadalbane's land and at its core lay
Taymouth, a vast baronial castle, built at the height
of the family's power.
Although the present building largely
dates from the 19th century, Taymouth stands on
the site of the ancient Balloch Castle which was
built in 1550 for Sir Colin Campbell of Glenorchy.
His son, known as Black Duncan of the Castles, was
responsible for the erection or aggrandizement of
six castles on the Estate. Towards the end of the
17th century the family fell on hard times. Later
the first Earl, known as a doubtful Jacobite and
described as "as brave as a Spaniard, cunning
as a fox, wise as a serpent and slippery as an eel",
used these various talents to recover the family
prosperity.
By the turn of the century the family
fortunes had sufficiently improved to finance the
erection of Taymouth Castle. The main core of Taymouth
in many ways replicates Inverary, the seat of the
Senior Campbell, Duke of Argyll, but with its large
extensions and superb embellishments, is of a scale
and and quality unknown elsewhere in Scotland.
Much of the Estate was completed by
September 1842 when Lord Breadalbane entertained
Queen Victoria and the Prince Consort. In her diaries
the Queen described her reception. "There were
a number of Lord Breadalbane's Highlanders, all
in the Campbell tartan, drawn up in front of the
house, with Lord Breadalbane himself in a Highland
dress at their head, a few of Sir Niall Menzie's
men (in the Menzie's red and white tartan), a number
of the pipers playing, and a company of the 92 Highlanders
also in kilts. The firing of the guns, the cheering
of the great crowd, the picturesqueness of the dresses,
the beauty of the surrounding country with its rich
background of wooded hills, altogether formed one
of the finest scenes imaginable. It seemed as if
a great chieftan in old and feudal times was receiving
his sovereign."
The Breadalbane Estates were broken up
shortly after the Great War. Much was sold to sporting
tenants or local farmers and Taymouth itself was eventually
purchased by The Taymouth Castle Hotel Company Ltd.
Prior to the Second World War the castle was operated
as a hotel, and at this time, the deer park was developed
into a magnificent golf
course The castle was requisitioned by the Government
during the Second World War and was used as a convalescent
home. After the war the Authorities turned it into a
headquarters for Civil Defence Training in Scotland.
For a short period it was used as a school for the children
of American servicemen.
Taymouth Castle is believed to be
the most important Scottish castle remaining in
private ownership. Its public rooms are outstanding
examples of the opulence and refinement created
by the best architects and craftsmen of the early
19th century. The central building with its cloistered
colonnade and corner towers, dates from 1806 and
was built by James and Archibald Elliot. Within
the central tower Francis Bernasconi, acknowledged
as the greatest designer of fine plaster work in
that era created a central staircase that soars
100 feet through all 4 storeys of the tower. It
is one of the most impressive staircases in Britain.
Many of the ceilings were painted by Cornelius Dixon
The present owners have tried to ensure
that the Castle is kept in good order. Many hundreds
of thousands have been spent on the main roof. Mr.
Norman Chalmers the caretaker received an MBE in
1998 for services to the nation. Sadly modern safety
regulations preclude the opening of the Castle to
the public
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