Finlaystone House, Port Glasgow, United Kingdom

Finlaystone House is a mansion and estate in the Inverclyde council area. Finlaystone was a property of the Dennistoun family, and passed to the Cunninghams in the 15th century. It was the seat of the Earl of Glencairn until 1796, and is now the property of the Chief of Clan MacMillan.

In the late 14th century, King Robert II confirmed a grant of the lands of Finlaystone to Sir John de Danyelstoun. He was succeeded by his son, Sir Robert, who was keeper of Dumbarton Castle. When he died in 1399 his estates were divided between his daughters. Elizabeth inherited Newark Castle, while Margaret inherited Finlaystone. In 1405 Margaret married Sir William Cunningham, whose family held the estate as the seat of Clan Cunningham until the 19th century. William's grandson Alexander Lord Kilmaurs (1426–1488) was created Earl of Glencairn in 1488. The family were supporters of the Scottish Reformation, hosting the world's first Protestant Reformed communion service by the preacher John Knox in 1556.

The architect John Douglas was commissioned to design a new house in 1746, but building works were not carried out until 1764. The new house incorporated part of the 15th-century castle. In 1796, the 15th Earl of Glencairn Lord Kilmaurs, Chief of Clan Cunningham, died without issue, and Finlaystone passed to a cousin, Robert Graham of Gartmore, whose family took the name Cunningham-Graham. The Cunningham-Grahams sold Finlaystone in 1862 to Sir David Carrick-Buchanan, who in turn sold it in 1882 to George Jardine Kidston. Kidston commissioned the architect John James Burnet to carry out a Scots Baronial style remodelling of the house, completed in 1903. The grounds of the house were extended and planted during the early 20th century. Kidston's granddaughter Marian married General Sir Gordon MacMillan, Chieftain of the Clan MacMillan. Their son George Gordon MacMillan is the current chief and owner of Finlaystone. The estate is operated as a visitor attraction, with walks and play areas in the 4.0 ha gardens.

References:

Wikipedia

Palaces, manors and town halls in United Kingdom

User Reviews

Christina Roberts (6 months ago)
Lovely grounds. Lots of walks and waterfalls. Kids playground looked a lot of fun but a bit too old for it now!

Anna Maluk (6 months ago)
Beautiful gardens and can easily spend a couple hours here. You can walk the sheep and the horse too. Woodlands are great for kids with lots of climbing frames and niche play areas. The soup was delicious in the cafe, would highly reccomend the red pepper and chilli soup.

Rachel Pigott (7 months ago)
An amazing find. We loved it here! Such a great place to run around and explore. Staff were lovely. Nice food in the cafe

Marlene Hughes (7 months ago)
Went there with the youngest 2 of my grandchildren. Lots of different things to let them use their imagination. Spent a lot of time at the pirate ship & the train. Weather was dry which really helped although a few muddy puddles added to the enjoyment. Definitely worth a visit

Charlie McNally (7 months ago)
Excellent country park, especially for the kids, lots of play areas and plenty of nice walks. The birds of prey centre on site was rundown and very dirty. All staff were friendly and helpful, more seating for picnics would be beneficial.

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