Kames Castle, Walled Garden North Bute, Scotland
Listed Building Data
Kames Castle, Walled Garden has been designated a scheduled monument in Scotland with the following information. Please note that not all available data may be shown here, minor errors and/or formatting may have occurred during transcription, and some information may have become outdated since listing.
- Historic Scotland ID
- 391822 (entity ID)
- Building ID
- 45036
- Canmore ID
- 90303
- Category
- B
- Name
- Kames Castle, Walled Garden Including Outbuilding, Greenhouse and Cottage
- Parish
- North Bute
- County
- Argyll and Bute
- Easting
- 206165
- Northing
- 667526
- Date Listed
- 20 February 1998
Listed Building Description
Text courtesy of Historic England. © Crown Copyright, reprinted under the Open Government License.
Late 18th century, early 19th century. Rectangular-plan walled garden with single storey lean-to outbuilding centred in N face, N wall; 19th century lean-to, 19-bay greenhouse centred in S face, N wall (grouped 6-7-6); single storey, 3-bay plain classical style cottage adjoining SW corner with single storey and attic, 5-bay wing at rear. High coped harl-pointed random rubble sandstone walls enclosing garden (double thickness red brick S face to N wall). Harl-pointed random rubble outbuilding to N; slightly raised grey sandstone margins; grey rubble quoins; long and short rubble surrounds to openings; boarded timber doors. Harl-pointed random rubble sandstone cottage; rendered wing at rear; tooled rubble quoins; tooled long and short surrounds to openings; raised, rendered margins to rear wing. WALLED GARDEN: various single storey, single bay outbuildings adjoining W face, W wall; stepped coping to N, E and W walls. Large 2-leaf boarded timber doors in round-arched opening centred in S wall (polished long and short surrounds at ground; rubble surrounds to arch). Internal walkways visible (forming quarters). OUTBUILDING: irregularly disposed single openings. Various skylights. Graded grey slate roof; replacement rainwater goods. GREENHOUSE: whitewashed rubble base supporting symmetrical, lean-to structure; regularly fenestrated; raised at centre. INTERIOR: iron brackets; small-paned timber panelled door; tiered, boarded timber benches; columnar supports. COTTAGE, S (ENTRANCE) ELEVATION: part-glazed timber panelled door centred at ground; single windows in bays to left and right. Heavy channelling to corniced ashlar wall adjoining to right. W (SIDE) ELEVATION: replacement window at ground in bay to left of centre; box dormer aligned above. Wing recessed to left comprising part-glazed timber panelled door in penultimate bay to outer left; boarded timber garage doors in bay to outer left; single windows in remaining bays to right; piended dormer off-set to right of centre. Predominantly 12-pane timber sash and case windows. Grey slate roof; raised stone skews to original block; replacement rainwater goods. Coped, rendered apex stacks to E and W; single circular cans. INTERIOR: not seen 1996.
Listed Building Statement of Special Interest
Text courtesy of Historic Environment Scotland. © Crown Copyright, reprinted under the Open Government License.
Forms part of the Kames Castle estate with Kames castle itself, the surrounding lodges, a gardener's cottage, gatelodge, boundary walls, gatepiers and gates (see separate list entries). Occupied from the 14th century by the Bannatyne family, Kames retained its independence from the Bute estate until 1863. It is thought the walled garden dates from the ownership of the last in the Bannatyne line, William MacLeod, an advocate and great "improver". Elevated to the Bench in 1799, he took the title of Lord Bannatyne, a position he held until 1823 when he resigned and was knighted the same year. In 1810, Kames passed to James Hamilton, by which time, it is assumed that the garden was established. With its red brick, S-facing double-thickness wall, its impressive greenhouse and walkways which form discernible divisions, the garden remains remarkably intact. Loose bricks from the brick wall were removed and the holes stuffed with hay. This was then burnt in order to create enough heat to allow the growth of soft fruit. When, in the mid to later 20th century, Kames was a children?s home, food grown in the garden met all their needs. Despite alterations to the corner cottage (now holiday accommodation), it has retained its timber glazing, slated roof and unusual channelled side wall.
Listed Building References
Text courtesy of Historic Environment Scotland. © Crown Copyright, reprinted under the Open Government License.
Appears on Ordnance Survey map, 1863; A H Millar THE CASTLES AND MANSIONS OF RENFREWSHIRE AND BUTESHIRE (1889); Revd A S Borrowman THE PARISH OF NORTH BUTE (1962); MacGibbon and Ross THE CASTELLATED AND DOMESTIC ARCHITECTURE (reprinted 1971) Vol III p192.
