History of the Castle
The area is named for the nomadic Viking, Borrodale, who settled in the area with his tribe. Buildings on the site date back many hundreds of years. The Stables house beside the castle is 300 years old and the castle itself stands on the site of the original mansion house, built for the owner of the Ardnamurchan estate.
The castle as it is today was built in 1900, when Mr C D Rudd, a wealthy magnate who made his fortune in the diamond mines in South Africa, bought the estate and became the Laird of Ardnamurchan. Mr Rudd used 100 local men, who daily walked the 13 miles from Kilchoan to work on the building. They were paid a weekly wage equivalent to £1.25, and after 3 years the Castle was finally complete. According to local legend, before he passed away Mr Rudd buried a large diamond somewhere in the grounds.
Little has changed since completion and strolling in the grounds or relaxing in the splendid interior it is easy to imagine oneself back in the days of glamour and opulence when lavish house parties occupied the building.