Balinakill Country House

Balinakill country house is a comfortable Victorian manor on the west side of the Kintyre Peninsula, in Argyll. It has been carefully restored to its full Scottish glory by its owners, and is a lovely house for a party of friends or family, or a wedding.

Balinakill has thirteen bedrooms, sleeping up to 30 guests in various configurations. Twelve of the bedrooms are ensuite, and there are seven double beds and five king-size beds – two of the kings can be made into twin beds. Two of the bedrooms have sofa beds within, and work very well as rooms for young families. The thirteenth room doubles as the children’s play room, and has a small double bed.

Downstairs, there’s plenty of space for everyone. There are three reception rooms, to suit the time of day and your mood – the first is a gorgeously atmospheric oak-panelled drawing room, with an open fire (all of the fires are laid ready, upon your arrival), and the second is a light, airy West-facing room, with gold cornicing and enormous bay windows, looking out over the valley.   

The third room is a traditional-style conservatory, to make the most of the sunlight, with comfortable sofas and French windows to the garden. It doubles as a games and family room, with a pool table (it has a table-tennis top), and a piano.

The house has two kitchens – one is set up for professional caterers, and the other has been designed with happily-pottering guests in mind. The dining room evokes all the grandeur of 19^th century banquets, and seats up to 24 guests.

One of the favourite rooms of the house is the gun-room bar, which is set up as a functioning bar (guests can pre-order barrels of draught beer to be delivered, and rested, before being connected ready to be drawn using the pumps). There’s also an ice-machine and the sort of glasses that inspire the most ambitious of cocktail sessions.   

The house is set within seven acres of grounds, and the gardens are an on-going restoration project for the owners. There’s a large terraced area with sun loungers and a barbecue area, and a new, eight-seater cedar hot-tub.

Edmund’s Choice of Extraordinary Feature

“This house is a country house in one of my favourite styles – relaxed and beautifully run at the same time. From the flowers in the drawing room, to the fires laid, to the goodies delivered by the local village shop – everything feels so blissfully easy and comfortable.”

About the Location

Balinakill Country House is on the west-side of the peninsula, and can be reached by car, boat or train. The nearest train station is Oban, with an hour and half transfer by car (or eight hours, if you’d like to be romantic, and arrive by boat).  

Things To Do

The Kintyre Peninsula is an area of Outstanding Beauty, and offers lots of walking and cycling on quiet roads. The beaches are quiet (and spectacular), and the house holds a two-rod fishing right for nearby Loch Ciaran. The area is rich in both history and distilleries, and there’s a hill fort within walking distance.  

Weddings

Balinakill is a lovely place for a wedding, then a joyful ceilidh. The extra catering kitchen makes life easy for larger numbers (a marquee can be used), and the house holds a license for several rooms for the ceremony.