Torosay Castle is located near Craignure and
Duart Castle on the
Isle of Mull.
The castle is currently for sale through agents Savills.
As of October 2010, the castle and gardens are no longer open to the public.
The information below relates to a time when the castle was still open to the public.
Sitting in 12 acres of ornamental gardens, Torosay Castle is a Victorian
mansion built in 1858 by the Scottish architect David Bryce. It is very much a
family home, with the upper floors still lived in.
The main rooms open to the public contain cabinets of various mementos and china
acquired over the years, including pictures of Winston Churchill who was a
frequent visitor in his younger days.
The late head of the family, David Guthrie Jones, had a very adventurous life. Captured on his motor gunboat during World War Two, he successfully
escaped from Colditz, then after the War, sailed around the world on his yacht
and later became an MP.
There are also displays about the family's escapades in the
Antarctic in the early 20th century.
One room houses a huge table covered with scrapbooks containing newspaper
clippings cataloguing decades of local events. Signs around the house encourage
you to sit on the furniture and stay a while if the weather is inclement
outside.
The grounds include a series of magnificent Italian statues, sculpted fountains,
water garden, Japanese garden, rockery, stone lions, a domed folly and elaborate
square towers on the edge of the terrace.
