The Mill House at Ormidale House
Glendaruel, Argyll
- Sleeps 22
- Bedrooms 9
- Bathrooms 4
- Pet Free
Check in/ Checkout Times
Accommodation Description
The large stylish contemporary kitchen area features a granite work surface throughout, twin stainless steel sinks and two dishwashers, three hobs, two electric ovens, a large American style fridge freezer, and gadgets galore. There’s a kitchen table for eight – expandable to sit a comfortable 12 – and a breakfast bar. The separate utility room features washing machine and drier, an additional large fridge and freezer, and extra storage. As well as the stunning main open plan reception area, the ground floor also features a utility room, a loo, and a separate TV room-cum-play room with a sofabed and 42 inch flat screen LCD TV with full Sky plus package; this room has its own access to the garden and to a sandstone terrace facing the river. An additional South-facing sitting room on the mezzanine floor, again with slate floor and original exposed stone wall, gives access through a pair of french doors onto another terrace with seven person HOT TUB and other garden furniture and to the private rear garden, river and woods. So, with two separate reception rooms as well as the large open plan communal area, the Mill House living accommodation is generous and flexible. Guests also have access to a separate games cottage, desperately scruffy and scheduled for a 2020 upgrade but still a fun space for teenagers, with snooker, darts and table tennis, which is shared with the Old Barn.
Amenities Description
There are nine bedrooms altogether, each offering double or twin accommodation. The downstairs was described by a VisitScotland inspector as five star and the bedrooms as two star to two and a half-star, on the basis of the amount of space. As well as five ordinary doubles, there are two wee box / bunk rooms, a family room sleeping up to five people, and one room that can be set as a twin, a superking, or a triple. They are all way smaller than the bedrooms elsewhere on the estate, and we don’t make any claims to four star status for them, as a result – they are fine for sleeping in, but you would only have room to swing a small kitten !! We go for the same quality of goose-down and feather pillow and duvet, the same gorgeous linen, same quality of mattress, but they don’t have the space that we offer in the rest of the estate. As a result we usually restrict the adult occupancy to somewhere between 14 and 18 – classing some of the beds and bedrooms as for children. As the downstairs space is so generous, we have added extra beds into a few of the rooms to make the most of the available space and maximize the number of guests we can accommodate. While none of the rooms are enormous, with bunks and and the use of the sofa bed we can accommodate a mixed-age party of 24. The six main bedrooms all have stylish contemporary wash-handbasins. Two bedrooms feature raised platform beds with storage underneath. There are three stunning bathrooms, with wall to wall travertine marble walls and slate floors, and there is a separate sauna and downstairs loo.
- Child Friendly
- Countryside
- Cycling Friendly
- Detached
- Dogs Allowed
- Family Friendly
- Fishing Onsite / Nearby
- Games Room / Play Facilities
- Hot Tub
- Internet
- Luxury
- Near a River
- Near Walks
- Open Fire / Log Burner
- Parking Available
- Pets
- Sauna
- Short Breaks Allowed
- Sky Tv
- Snooker Table
- Tennis Court
About the area
Nestled on a private 22-acre estate high in the hills of Argyll’s Cowal Peninsula, Ormidale House is a majestic historic laird’s retreat. Originally built in 1693, the grand house sleeps up to 35 guests across 13 beautifully appointed bedrooms, blending antique charm with modern comfort. Inside, you’ll find elegant gathering spaces: a formal dining hall, a drawing room with a baby-grand piano, a billiard room, and two relaxing TV lounges.
Outside, the estate feels like a natural playground — woodland trails wind past waterfalls and peaceful river pools, while shared lawns invite croquet and games. A seven-seater hot tub, sauna, sunken trampoline and tennis court bring laid-back luxury. Here, wildlife abounds — spot deer and red squirrels — and with little light pollution, the night sky is a perfect canvas for stargazing. Just 90 minutes from Glasgow, Ormidale is a serene base for hiking, sailing, fishing, and island-hopping around the stunning Kyles of Bute.
The Mill House was described by its first guests as “the wow factory.” Fifteen years later, we have dozens of repeat customers and still get every single new party saying “the website doesn’t do it justice, it is way nicer than we expected”. It’s not about the nine small bedrooms sleeping up to 22 guests – though we get compliments on the comfortable beds and gorgeous linen.
It is all about the stunning open plan reception and living space of nearly 80 square meters, with contemporary kitchen, double height dining area, and generous lounging space with three huge sofas, a 70 inch smart TV, and an open fire. Although we managed to get 120 guests sat in the space for our own wedding in September 2023, the magic of the Mill House is that the space never feels cavernous even for a group of less than a dozen.
That gorgeous central space is complemented by the two further reception rooms, each of which give onto the private gardens running down to the river, through glass French doors. There is a kids playroom behind the main sitting room area, with two sofas (one a sofabed) and full Sky TV. At a mezzanine level up the stairs and behind the kitchen area, there is another wee seating area with space for five adults and doors out to the suntrap patio with bbq, lovely original bench seating, and seven person hot tub. Spectacular woodland and forest views from the hot tub and garden.