Kames Castle

Kames Castle stands on the shore of Kames Bay near Port Bannatyne on the Isle of Bute. The 14th-century tower house sits in twenty hectares of planted grounds beside a two-hectare walled garden from the 18th century. A row of stone cottages was added later, and the whole group is protected as category B listed buildings. The lands were granted to the Bannatyne family by Robert the Bruce in the 14th century. Sir William Macleod Bannatyne, a noted Edinburgh lawyer and judge, owned the castle in the late 18th and early 19th century. The castle was the birthplace of the critic John Sterling, who grew up there before moving away. Lord Bannatyne sold the estate around 1810 to James Hamilton WS, preferring life in the city. In 1863 it became part of the Marquess of Bute’s estate, and later alterations were made in the 19th century. At the start of the 20th century the mansion was pulled down and replaced by cottages arranged around a courtyard to serve as a hunting lodge. Today the castle remains privately owned, with several cottages available for holiday lets. The walled garden and mature grounds still show the layout created by Lord Bannatyne. Views across Kames Bay stretch to the hills beyond, and the nearby Wester Kames Castle adds to the historic atmosphere of the area.