Knockdow Estate Dunoon, Argyll A beautifully positioned residential estate on the Cowal Peninsula overlooking Loch Striven and the Kyles of Bute Knockdow Estate, Dunoon, Argyll Dunoon 11 miles, Glasgow airport 36 miles, Glasgow 46 miles, Edinburgh airport 88 miles Features: Knockdow House Fully renovated and restored historic country house with superb position and glorious southerly views to the Isle of Bute. Accommodation includes 6 main reception rooms, 3 additional reception rooms and 12 bedrooms (11 of which are en-suite including 3 self-contained suites). Currently operating both as a family home and bespoke function venue with letting accommodation which is 5-star accredited by VisitScotland. Gardens and Grounds Extensive formal gardens and grounds, walled garden, enclosed parkland and open wooded policies including two ornamental lakes and a former mill pond. Outbuildings Log store (for biomass boiler) and extensive general storage including a former stable block and courtyard. Houses/Cottages Four uninhabited dwellings including a pair of lodge cottages and former staff cottages within the stable block. Land and Woods About 125 acres of permanent pasture/rough grazing and 117 acres woods. Planning and Development A range of planning and development opportunities. Sporting Trout and coarse fishing, red and roe deer stalking, low ground shooting and wild duck flighting About 250 acres (101 Ha) in total For sale as a whole Situation Knockdow Estate occupies an The quality of sailing off the Argyll extremely attractive setting which coast and Inner Hebrides is of is easily accessible. Located on world renown. Within close range the western side of the Cowal of Knockdow, there are marinas at Peninsula overlooking Loch Striven, Dunoon, Rothesay, Port Bannatyne the southerly and westerly views and Inverkip. from the estate are magnificent and include the Islands of Bute In terms of land based activities, there and Cumbrae together with the are golf courses at Innellan (9 holes) distinctive peak of Goat Fell and and Dunoon (18 holes). Further afield the mountains of Arran. there are internationally renowned golf courses at Loch Lomond, Royal Troon, Access to the estate is via a minor Trump Turnberry and Prestwick. public road which leads for about 11 miles from Dunoon through the For field sports enthusiasts, and in villages of Innellan and Toward. addition to the sport available at The village of Innellan has a Post Knockdow itself, there is first class Office, convenience store and two driven pheasant and partridge pub/restaurants. A wider range of shooting and red and roe deer services is provided in Dunoon, stalking available to rent on the with a good selection of shops, Cowal peninsula. professional services, a hospital with A&E and secondary school With many islands to explore, with sports and community leisure mountains to climb, lochs to facilities. Dunoon provides two ferry fish, pubs and restaurants to links across the Clyde estuary to dine at throughout Argyll, there Gourock. The journey time by ferry is is a fantastically diverse range of circa 20 minutes and ferries leave at activities within a drive of an hour 20-minute intervals during the day. or so of Knockdow. The closest airport with scheduled Historical Note domestic and international flights The Knockdow Estate was in the is at Glasgow International Airport ownership of Clan Lamont, one of (36 miles) which can be reached the oldest of the Scottish Clans in around an hour under normal for around 600 years. In the 13th traffic conditions. Gourock also has a Century, the Lamonts appear to have railway station with frequent services owned most of the Cowal Peninsula. to Paisley (for Glasgow airport) and The original mansion of Knockdow Glasgow city centre. took its Gaelic name from a ‘Black Knoll’ on the estate, which stood With its many islands, peninsulas 4 miles north of where the house and sea lochs, Argyll has thousands stands now. The present house was of miles of coastline and, as such, built in circa 1760 and was further the sea is a feature of the working life altered and enlarged in 1920 by and leisure time of its inhabitants. Sir Norman Lamont, then Laird of Knockdow Estate. The Lamont family owned significant estates in Trinidad and Tobago and Knockdow House is decorated with mahogany, sandalwood and other exotic woods from the Caribbean. The centrepiece of the house is a domed cupola over the Great Hall which is galleried at first floor level and supported by Ionic columns. Unique amongst Scottish country houses, the acoustic quality of the room as a result of the cupola makes it ideal for musical recitals and concertos. The Great Hall is also a majestic and intimate setting for wedding ceremonies since the owners’ began offering the house for rent for bespoke events. Throughout the house, the quality and attention to detail of the decoration – both in terms of original detailing and the quality of its restoration and enhancement is truly magnificent. The estate was purchased by the current owners in 2010. Since then, Knockdow House has benefitted from a fully comprehensive yet sympathetic restoration and refurbishment which has transformed the house from being virtually uninhabitable to what is undoubtedly one of the standout residential properties on the Scottish western seaboard. Description Extending to about 250 acres in total, Knockdow is a residential and amenity estate with a spectacular setting overlooking the sea loch of Loch Striven and with panoramic views to the Islands of Bute, Great and Little Cumbrae and the mountains of Arran. The components of the estate are described overleaf: Knockdow House Knockdow House is a substantial and From an architectural perspective, very attractive stone-built country exterior features of the building house with a glorious southerly outlook include gabled dormers and across its own parkland. Built of stone pedimented windows, a segmental under a slate roof, the accommodation pediment over the central bay of the is laid out over three storeys. principal (eastern) façade, a circular crenelated tower and bay window on The house is approached from the the western façade. public road by two private drives each with a traditional gate lodge. The house is entered by double The east drive winds through the wooden entrance doors beneath the policies past the pair of ornamental port cochere which leads into the lakes and through parkland before entrance hall which features ornate reaching the eastern façade of the ceiling mouldings. The entrance house where there is a port cochere hall leads through to the Great Hall at the front door. The west drive leads with its domed and galleried cupola to the rear of the house and to the which is the focal point of the house. former stables and courtyard. There are further reception rooms off Knockdow House has been the the Great Hall, including two sitting subject of an ambitious and extensive rooms referred to respectively by restoration and refurbishment project the owners as the ‘media room’ and during the vendors’ ownership. ‘tea room’. Between these rooms is a The project was undertaken with the door which leads out to an expansive aim of creating a family home to the terrace and lawn on the south side of highest of 21st century living standards the house. Also off the Great Hall is whilst ensuring that the unique the drawing room and dining room, heritage of the house was retained both of which feature decorative including most of its original features. cornicing and carvings with the recurring themes of flora and fauna. The house has been revolutionised These reception rooms have large by the replacement and renewal of open fire places and bay windows. the electrical, heating and plumbing systems, the insertion of extensive Also within the ground floor is the insulation and damp proofing, kitchen/breakfast room and pantry replacement, repair and treatment plus additional service rooms of internal timbers, renewal of sash (including walk-in strong room and case windows, the addition of a and wine cellar with original bins), number of en-suite bathrooms and the gunroom, playroom, a shower extensive redecoration. A particular room and two WCs. achievement of the renovation and refurbishment works is the creation, in The first of the suites (the ‘School addition to the master bedroom suite, House’) is on the ground floor, of four self-contained suites within consisting of a bedroom (the original the house. These suites are designed school room with frieze depicting the such that they can be occupied Monarchs of Scotland still in situ), as independent accommodation a large wet room/bathroom (either for guests of the owners or and kitchenette. independent tenants) or as an integral part of living accommodation. The first floor is accessed by the filtration system is located next to the main stairwell which is lined with log store. The boiler is piped through timber panelling from Tobago. to a tank room in the basement of the There are three suites on the first house. There are five water cylinders floor. The ‘Cumbrae Suite’, named which each service a different zone after the two islands in the lower of the house. There are two zones Firth of Clyde within view of for the suites and three zones for Knockdow, and the ‘Tower Suite’ the rest of the principal areas of each have two bedrooms and sitting the house. Each water cylinder has room with kitchenette. The ‘Bute a surge pump which ensures that Suite’ has one double bedroom and there is instant hot water on demand sitting room with kitchenette. throughout the house. In addition to the three suites, In terms of its occupation and use, there are four double en-suite the house serves as the current owners’ bedrooms on this floor including the home.