Had breakfast a little later this morning and then headed to Inveraray castle, situated just on the northern outskirts of the town. The gardens and parts of the castle are open for the public to visit.
Inveraray castle, built in the 1700s, is the ancestral home of the Duke of Argyll, Chief of the Campbell Clan. The current (13th) Duke of Argyll lives there with his family. Ann can trace her family tree back to one of the Earls of Argyll and therefore feels an ancestral connection to the castle and the family.
The rooms open to the public are beautifully decorated with paintings, tapestries, furniture and artefacts that have been part of the family's heritage for centuries. All very beautiful and interesting. My favourite room was the central hall which is generously decorated with a huge variety of swords, rifles, armour, pistols and all manner of military weapons and paraphernalia. The tour through the castle ended in the obligatory gift shop and tearoom where we bought a couple of souvenirs and a coffee ... and another cap for me!
The grounds of the estate contain many acres of hills and forests, through which there are a number of walking trails. The forests contain a variety of tree species including Pines and huge Cedars. We chose to walk up to the top of the hill behind the castle, which overlooks the town of Inveraray, the loch and beyond. The terrain was very steep but thankfully in good condition. We took a little over 2 hours to make the climb and return, with several photo stops along the way and at the top. The round trip was about 4.8 km (3 miles), during which one climbs an elevation of 250 metres (830 feet). Definitely worth it as the views from the top are fantastic.
Back at the hotel we enjoyed another swim to relax our tired muscles before showers and supper in the hotel dining room.
Enjoy the photos.
Inveraray castle
The living room
Crystal chandelier in the dining room
Central hall
Weapons on display in the central hall
We walked to the top of the hill in the background
Ann in front of a huge Cedar tree
We made it to the top
View overlooking Loch Fyne, the castle and the town of Inveraray
(zoom in to see the detail)
More social distancing advice
Me again! OK, so your photograph of Kilchurn Castle IS stunning, but now the photograph of Loch Fyne & Inveraray is even more stupendous. Amazing! Superb! Well done. Travel safely. BFN, Stephen.
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