History of the Craigard House Hotel
| Completed in 1882, in the Italianate style popular at the time, Craigard House was the home of a local Whisky Distiller. He and his brother, owner of a rival distillery, vied with one another to create the finest house in Campbeltown. The next commission of the Architect, Henry Clifford, was Auchinlee which is still to be found in High Askomil, on the road to Carradale. |
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| At this time, there were 21 distilleries in the 'Wee Toon' (the affectionate name for Campbeltown). This had reached around 30 at the peak of production in c1830, with fishing, farming and coal-mining being the other main occupations.
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The house remained in the same family until 1942 when it was purchased by the local Council to become a Maternity Home. Craigard was used for this purpose until 1973, with the majority of the local people in that age group having been born here.
'Babies of Craigard' and 'Mothers of Craigard' Record Books are prominently displayed, to enable people to register their birth – or labour. Doctors and Midwives also have a section devoted to staff of the facility. Fathers, however, have no such record – by common consent of the local Mothers!
Many people come to seek their roots and appreciate the option to reminisce and view the relevant locations in the hotel. Recent guests have been taken aback to find themselves sleeping in the very room in which they were born!
Following its closure as a Maternity Home in 1973, the house was divided into two flats. Then, having fallen into disrepair, Craigard House was purchased at Auction in 1996, in a semi-derelict condition. Since then it has been lovingly brought to new life as an Hotel. In 1997 it opened with just four rooms, to be increased to eight in 1998. Craigard House Hotel's popularity then increased to such an extent that it became vital to add new accommodation and facilities – with three new rooms and a laundry wing being completed in 2005. However, this expansion was still insufficient to cope with demand, and two further bedrooms were added in May 2006.
| Current plans include the development of a further family bedroom, a bar area in the Old Coachhouse, and an ambitious project to increase the Restaurant space - to cope with the increasing popularity of Chef Joanne Baird's succulent brand of local cuisine. |
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