Argyll’s Lodging reopens for tours
The former noble residence once housed some of Scotland's most prominent aristocratic families.
A new tour at Argyll’s Lodging in Stirling allows visitors a glimpse into the home lives of Scotland’s historic noble families.
For centuries, Stirling Castle was one of Scotland's principal royal centres, attracting nobles from across the kingdom to attend the Royal Court. To remain close to their sovereign and the political heart of the nation, many of Scotland's leading noble families acquired land and built impressive townhouses in Stirling.
Led by expert guides from Stirling Castle, the Unlocking Noble Stirling tour invites visitors to explore Argyll's Lodging, the finest surviving aristocratic townhouse in Scotland. Beautifully restored, its remarkable features and elegant interiors have been carefully recreated using the property's historic inventories.
Argyll’s Lodging is a grand Renaissance property only a short walk from Stirling Castle and has recently reopened for tours following the completion of vital conservation work.
Substantial and magnificent, the house was built in several stages from the mid-16th to the late 17th centuries. Over the years it was owned by a succession of important families and takes its name from the last of them, the Campbells of Argyll. The site is now considered the finest surviving aristocratic townhouse in Scotland.
The tour takes visitors through the grand rooms and hidden spaces of Argyll’s Lodging, tracing the lives of the nobles and servants who once spent so much time there. They will also learn the fascinating story of how the building evolved from a grand noble residence into a military hospital during the 19th and early 20th centuries.
Audrey Burns, Regional Visitor and Community Manager for Stirling Castle at Historic Environment Scotland (HES), said:
“Argyll’s Lodging is a fascinating window into Scotland’s past, and we’re very happy to be able to welcome visitors inside again on the Unlocking Noble Stirling tour. Built in stages over a century, the architecture alone tells us so much about life in the early modern period in Scotland.
“Our conservators have done such a fantastic job recreating what the house would have look like when the 9th Earl of Argyll and his wife lived here in the late-17th century, including cleaning and re-hanging the beautiful tapestries that adorn the walls. Argyll Lodging is a wonderful site and a must see for history lovers visiting Stirling!”
The next guided tour is on Tuesday 15 September, with the following tours running on Tuesdays and Fridays, from 2.30pm until 4pm. Tickets are priced at £15 for adults and £13 for children (£13.50 / £11.70 for Historic Scotland members). Children under 7 and carers receive free entry, but a ticket is required. Tickets do not include entry to Stirling Castle, which must be purchased separately.
Strong footwear is recommended, as the tour includes uneven surfaces, stairways and low, narrow doorways.
About Historic Environment Scotland (HES)
We're the lead body for Scotland’s historic environment, a charity dedicated to the advancement of heritage, culture, education and environmental protection. We are at the forefront of researching and understanding the historic environment and addressing the impacts of climate change on its future. Across Scotland, we investigate and record architectural and archaeological sites and landscapes and care for more than 300 properties of national importance. HES is also working with sector partners to deliver Scotland's strategy for the historic environment, Our Past, Our Future.
Historic Scotland, trove.scot, The National Collection of Aerial Photography (NCAP), The Engine Shed, Stirling Castle, Edinburgh Castle and Stòr are sub-brands of HES.
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