Again this is one of those places on Loch Etive where it is perfectly possible to anchor even though it is not in the Sailing Directions. Ardchattan House is said to be the second oldest house in Scotland, based on a 13th century settlement for Valliscaulian monks. It is now privately owned but the gardens are open to the public thanks to the generosity of Sarah Troughton who presumably makes little if anything out of the £5 entrance fee (ph 01796 481355).
There are a lot of shrubs and trees. The south-facing part in front of the house is more formal and yet very serene and attractive. It is enclosed by a beautiful east wall through which there is a gate leading to the remains of the originally 13th century church or chapel, with later bits. This was once part of the priory itself, before it became secularised in 1602 and partly converted into a private house which, according to 'Pevsner', is "a strange and enchanting mixture of ecclesiastical and domestic forms" (The Buildings of Scotland, Argyll and Bute. Frank Arneil Walker, Penguin Books, London, 1992). What you see now is mostly 19th century. Behind the main house you will find a very inhabited 'doocot' (dovecot in English) and tucked a bit further away in the trees, a kind of Hansel and Gretel cottage. Because the house is privately owned you shouldn't be wandering around after the gardens have closed (at 5pm).
