Mingary Castle Hotel: 13th Century History With 21st Century Comforts
- Gail McElroy
- Jan 5, 2023
- 11 min read
Staying at a touristy, affordable “castle” hotel is easy to do in Scotland where castles are more common than kilts, especially for families with kids. But if you’re looking for a more of an authentic once-in-a-lifetime experience, a stay at Mingary Castle will transport you back to the 13th century but with all the 21st century comforts.
When I first started researching castle accommodations within a day’s drive from Falkirk, Scotland, for a weekend getaway to celebrate our daughter’s 30th birthday, the options ranged from hotels built to look like castles to renting an entire castle for a small (and sometimes large) fortune. Coming out of Covid lockdowns only made the hunt harder.
I was a week into my search when I stumbled onto Mingary Castle, which met all our requirements. As I hit “submit” with our desired dates, I held my breath, hoping for availability and rates within our price range. (I had done this so many times that week with disappointing results, I began to believe it was a futile exercise.) When the page loaded, I felt like I had hit the jackpot in a casino. Dates? Check. Price? Check. Dinner reservations? Check. Ding, ding, ding. We had a winner!
Two months later, as we turned onto a gravel driveway from the main road (almost missing the tiny chalkboard sign), the rectangular stone fortress appeared out of nowhere, standing alone like a sentry keeping watch for ships on the Sound of Mull. In fact, that was the castle’s primary purpose when its stone structure was erected in 1265 along Scotland’s Argyll Coast, replacing a timber castle built sometime in the late 12th or early 13th century.
According the Mingary Castle website, evidence of human habitation began at this location 4,000 years ago. The castle’s ownership and occupants changed several times during those four millennia – its history reads like a Scottish game-of-thrones-type saga – because of various power struggles and skirmishes between Vikings, clans, and royalty.
After the Jacobite Rising of 1745 and the British victory during the final battle in April 1746, towns and structures along this wild, westerly coast were eventually cleared in the mid- to late1800s. Left uninhabited for 150 years, the once formidable Mingary fortress began to crumble and threatened to succumb to the very sea it was to watch over. Thankfully, in 2013, Mingary (which means “great house”) was rescued and restored and now operates as a luxury castle hotel.
As my husband and I, along with our daughter and her husband, got out of the car (anxious to stretch after being confined during the long drive from Falkirk on narrow winding roads), the innkeeper, Jess Thompson, came out to greet us. She is petite and full of energy, exuding a true fondness for the property and demonstrating a keen sense of hospitality. Jess and her partner, Colin Nicholson, run the hotel with a small team of helpers. She manages the property, and he is the chef. We soon learn they live “just up the road” and running the hotel is a labor of love for them.
We left our luggage in the car and followed Jess toward the castle to see our rooms and get a brief orientation to the property. From the outside, the building looks quite small and not very impressive as far as historical castles go. I silently told myself to keep my expectations low so I wouldn’t be too disappointed.
Two minutes later, as we crossed the authentic drawbridge over a dry moat and passed through the fortified entry, called the porticullis, my momentary skepticism gave way to excitement, and I knew our weekend would be one to remember. (You know, “remember that time we stayed in a 13th century castle?”)
Once through the gate, we entered an airy courtyard bright with sandstone and new cobble stones. Standing in the courtyard provided the perfect vantage point to see both the older, original outer wall, called the battlement, (restored to its original footprint and design) and the newly refurbished and renovated hotel housed within its walls. The restoration, made possible by The Mingary Castle Restoration Trust, began in 2013 and took three years to complete.
From the courtyard, guests can access a small rocky jetty through a small wooden door and take a set of stairs leading down to the water to enjoy views of the Sound of Mull. A smaller structure, separate from the main building, lines one side of the courtyard housing a self-contained apartment (the MacDonald Suite), which is the only dog-friendly room for those traveling with their fury friends. Speaking of dogs, the innkeepers have a small long-haired Dachshund named Hamish who takes his role as the “mascot” of Mingary Castle seriously!
As Jess led us through a small arched door, we got a peek into the kitchen where Colin was busy preparing dinner. (We would learn during the course of our stay that Colin prefers to remain behind the scenes.) In addition to the kitchen, on the ground floor is a public toilet for hotel and restaurant guests, an office, and the onsite restaurant.
The first floor houses The Library. (Keep in mind, that in Scotland, like most of Europe, the first floor is what we Americans would actually call the second floor.) The Library is beautifully decorated and designed for comfort and coziness, and, yes, it has books. Large couches and club chairs surround the fireplace and drinks are available for purchase from a bar discreetly tucked in the corner. It's the perfect spot to gather with your party before or after dinner or when you want to curl up with a book or your laptop or simply sit and soak in the scenery.
Two of the hotel’s rooms (there are four total on the property), the – MacIain Suite and the MacDougall Suite – are located on the second floor. (The names of the rooms are a nod to the castle’s history and previous owners.)
We booked the McCain Suite on the top floor (in what would have been the castle keep) which has two rooms, one for each couple. The hotel does not have a lift, so getting to and from our rooms was a four-flight trek up and back. (If you can’t do stairs, this may not be the place for you since even the ground floor apartment as a flight of stairs up to the bedroom.) Although my husband and I both have bad knees, we managed. Just use your trips up and down wisely! (There are also a set of chairs on each landing if you need to rest.) We “elders” let our 30-something daughter and son-in-law do most of the luggage-lugging and retrievals when we forgot something in the room or car. Of course, Jess and her staff are also able to assist if needed.
Out of breath and anxious to get settled, we entered our room first, which was worth every single one of the 100+ steps to get there. The room has hardwood floors and is furnished with genuine antiques and a four-poster super-king bed. Windows are located on three of the four walls, looking out to the water, sideways up the rocky coast, and back to the turreted wall protecting a narrow walkway, or the parapet. The walkway is only accessible to guests staying in the McCain Suite. The other room is located across the stair landing and is the mirror image layout but with different décor and furnishings.
It is rare to walk onto a hotel property and into rooms and have it look exactly as depicted on its website. If possible, this property not only matched but exceeded the picture-perfect accommodations promised on its website!
In keeping with the first-class castle accommodations and attention to detail, the bathroom for our suite of rooms was impressive. Because sharing one bathroom between two couples is not ideal, it was the one thing we were worried about. We needn’t have.
The all-marble, modern bathroom was large, bright and airy, and stocked with spa-like toiletries and thick, luxurious towels. (There are bathrobes in the rooms.) In addition to a sizeable walk-in shower, it also has a big separate bathtub (that, sadly, none of us ended up taking advantage of) and plenty of shelving for storage. But the best feature of all was the heated flooring! Another unique feature was both cool and unnerving: the entire bathroom wall along the hallway between the two rooms was clear glass. As in you can see the entire bathroom and its contents from the hallway. We soon learned there is a switch inside that turns the glass opaque when occupied, but each of us admitted later that we still felt a tad exposed (like, what if the switch failed or, worse yet, we forgot to switch it on?!).
After retrieving our luggage (down and up again), we went through the small French doors to climb out and onto the parapet for a better look at the Sound of Mull. The views of the sound, the coastline, and the Isle of Mull in the distance were incredible. Fortunately, we had sunny, moderate weather for most of our weekend stay. The rain (which occurs more days than not in Scotland) waited for our departure on Sunday before making an appearance.
After some initial exploring and a brief rest, we changed and headed down for dinner, which is served Tuesday through Sunday between 6:30 and 8:30 p.m. The restaurant is open to the public as well, so be sure to make a reservation ahead of time. The wood-paneled dining room, lined by antique books and warmed by a fireplace, provides an intimate setting for about 10-15 diners. Jess greets and seats guests and helps serve when needed. This is truly a hands-on operation.
Dinner (which is not included with the room rate) generally consists of a six-course tasting menu uniquely created each night by Chef Colin, featuring carefully selected ingredients (sourced locally whenever possible) and cooked with culinary techniques he learned from around the world. Each course is as delightful to the eye as it is to the palate, plated and presented as small works of art.
Our menu that Friday night ranged from Colin’s very own malted sourdough served with homemade cultured butter and wild garlic salt to Hebridean blue cheese mousse with honey caviar and pickled walnut to loin of venison served with bramble gel, foraged mushrooms and liquorice juice. Other courses included some seafood and vegetables and tasty sweets for dessert. We had eight courses in all. Dinner was a lengthy but lavish experience, each course to be lingered over and discussed. Honestly, this dining experience even topped the most exquisite dinner my husband and I had a few years prior at a Michelin-star restaurant in France. It was certainly the most extravagant dinner our daughter and son-in-law have experienced to date, which was perfect since, if you recall, the weekend was her birthday celebration.
On Saturday morning, after a delicious breakfast (not included in the room rate) at the hotel, we took a 35-minute ferry ride across the sound to Tobermory on the Isle of Mull, which is part of the Inner Hebrides. The ferry landing is a 5-minute drive from Mingary and it accommodates both pedestrians and cars. Get there early to secure your place in line since the ferries fill up quickly for each run. Enjoy a beverage and snack at Puffin Coffee while you wait. And be sure to note the return ferry schedule (CalMac Ferries Kilchoan), so you don’t get stuck with an unplanned overnight stay on the island.
As our ferry approached the town of Tobermory, a row of brightly colored buildings that line the main street greeted us, reflective of the eclectic visiting tourists and residents who call the isle home. Since we had our car, we decided to do a little exploring outside of town, but not before my husband and son-in-law were drawn like magnets to the Tobermory Distillery. Tours were limited due to Covid, but they managed a quick tasting with a very entertaining and knowledgeable employee, part salesman and part bartender. Clutching their prized purchased bottles of whiskey, the men were amenable to wherever we women wanted to go next. So, we headed for the Isle of Mull Cheese shop and farm we had read about.
Unfortunately, upon driving up the car park we discovered it was closed for tours and they weren’t serving food that day. Although disappointed, it was still fun to walk around and see the glass barn, beautiful gardens and surrounding pastures, as well as hear the cow bells clanking as the cheese-making animals retreated from our approach. We soon discovered you can buy their cheese at various stores in town, so we were able to take some back home with us.
We then took a little scenic drive around the hills, winding our way to the Glengorm Castle, a hotel with a café on its grounds. We envisioned eating lunch there, but we were not impressed with the limited menu options. After a short walk around the grounds and snapping some photos, we headed back to town for our meal and some shopping before catching the ferry back. We opted for Macgochan’s, a popular pub on the far end of town we had spotted before near the distillery. Once fortified with food, we worked our way back toward the ferry landing, exploring the shops within the colorfully painted facades that greeted us upon our arrival. Most were touristy but some sold authentic items made on the island. Be sure to get some goodies at the Isle of Mull Soap Company and Tobermory Chocolate.
Once we returned to the mainland, we drove north to the Ardnamurchan Lighthouse, which is located on the most westerly point of mainland Britain and has been guiding ships since 1849. Along the way, we spotted all manner of flora and fauna. My personal favorite were wild sheep that had little black and white striped and spotted “socks.” It was late in the season (September), but we also spotted some small fields of heather.
When we returned to Mingary Castle near dinnertime, we were a bit peckish (as the locals say) but not hungry enough for another six-course meal. Since the only other place to eat dinner nearby, Kilchoan House Hotel (also the only other accommodations in the area), was closed to the public because a motorcycle club rented the property for the weekend, we had limited options. When we asked Jess, always the helpful and accommodating hostess, if it was possible to limit our meal to just two courses, she offered up the alternative of a charcuterie tray for us to enjoy in the Library.
We headed up to the Library to enjoy some libations and debrief on our day while we waited for our light meal. Showing his array of culinary creativity, Colin “whipped up” a massive tray of amazing sweet and savory treats with ingredients he had on hand. Consistent with our other meals at the castle so far, it all looked as good as it tasted. The spread took up most the surface of the large ottoman located between our couches which served as our table. It was a casual, cozy way to cap off our day.
Sunday morning, we reluctantly woke early and packed, eating a hearty breakfast before getting on the road for our 4-hour drive back to Falkirk. Once we checked out and our luggage was loaded in the car, we decided to go down to the castle’s rocky beach to see the fortress from its northerly side. A short staircase and dirt path led us down to the sand, where, if time permitted, you could walk for a ways along the coast. We hadn’t built that into our timeframe, so we took 30 minutes to collect a few shells and take some photos.
It was surprising to see the castle from its side. It loomed largely out of rock to the water’s edge, the shape of a large ship’s bow. Seeing it from this angle reminded us that its purpose was for protection, a stronghold not meant to be scaled. It was not a sprawling castle with fancy, fairytale-like towers and turrets. This castle was all about practical protection for those inside.
At times in its 4,000-year history, I am confident the interior of Mingary Castle was grand enough for the highest levels of royalty. It certainly was for King James IV who stayed there in 1493. Although no one in our party of four has ties to nobility (although three of the four of us learned we have Scottish blood thanks to an ancestry DNA test), we certainly got to live like Lords and Ladies for 48 hours.
If you’re looking for a memorable stay, my advice is to skip the cheesy castle wannabes and opt for the authenticity and amazing amenities that Mingary has to offer.
The weekend was pricey, but the experience was priceless. Afterall, how many people can say: “Remember that time we stayed in an authentic 13th century Scottish castle?”
The Good
· Luxury Accommodations
· Historical and Cultural Experience
· Exquisite Cuisine
· Outstanding Staff
· Hamish the “Mascot”
· The Views
· Nearby Isle of Mull
The Bad
· The price (Our weekend accommodations and meals for a two-night stay totaled about £1,500 or about $2,000, which we felt was well worth the investment.)
· Location (isolated and not easy to get to; must have car)
· Availability (the property is closed January through April and has limited rooms
· The Stairs (if that’s a problem for you)
· Not kid-friendly (although that was a pro for us)
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