Torosay Castle is located near Craignure and
Duart Castle on the
Isle of Mull.
A miniature railway - unique on the islands - runs between the Old Pier at
Craignure and the castle, but you can always walk or drive the 1.5 miles up the
road from the ferry terminal if you prefer.
If you would like to take the 20-minute ride on the train,
you can buy a combined train/ferry ticket to travel from Oban.
Open April - October. Telephone 01680 812 494.
The Castle is open from Easter to end October, 7 days a week, 10.30am - 5pm.
The gardens are open all year round: daylight hours only in winter, and 9am-7pm in summer.
Slightly cheaper tickets are available if you just want to visit the grounds and go in the tearoom.
Guided tours available by request. Tearoom serving light meals and refreshments.
Craft/souvenir shop. Limited disabled access. Telephone 01680 812 421.
Email: Torosay@aol.com
Now available for weddings. More info
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. Visitors to the library are invited to sit
on the sofa and delve into a stack of magazines piled on an Edwardian table.
There are displays about the Loch Ness Monster with copies of famous photographs
and recent sonar scans, plus souvenirs of the family's escapades in the
Antarctic in the early 20th century.
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. The big red book from his appearance on the TV show "This
is Your Life" is there to be thumbed through.
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 which house a very comprehensive
display of the geological history of Mull, complete with photographs, timecharts
and models. Well worth a visit.
