The Paymaster’s House offers comfortable and welcoming self catering accommodation in a beautiful 18th century Scottish town house. Seeped in history our five, 4 star apartments, are on the central main street of Inverarary in the heart of Argyll. From 1780, when the Provost James Campbell first enjoyed The Paymasters House as his home, the apartments have come through various changes and were refurbished to the present standard in 1999.

In addition to the historic background The Paymaster’s also has literary connections to the famous writer Neil Munro who wrote the book ‘Gillian the Dreamer’, which is set in The Paymasters House nearly 200 years ago. It is centred around the famous family who lived there at that time and features the characters after whom each apartment is named: The Paymaster, The General, The Cornal, Miss Mary and their maidservant Peggy. Neil Munro was also the local celebrated author of the ‘Para Handy’ novels.

The History of The Paymasters House

The town of Inveraray is distinguished by the fact that it was one of the first towns in Scotland to be built to an architects plan. To understand this we must go back almost five centuries to the first appearance of the great Clan Campbell and their removal from their original stronghold of Innischonnel Castle on the banks of Loch Awe to the shores of Loch Fyne here at Inverarary. The clan were of the opinion that Loch Fyne was more suited to their future expansion plans. Their first castle was built on the banks of the River Aray about 200 metres to the front of the present Inveraray Castle. A little town started to grow around the castle which stretched to the shore line and to the edge of the present town. Here were the houses of merchants, lawyers, burgesses and others who basked in the growing power of the Campbell Earls and Dukes. Housed also were the lower classes that lived in small thatched houses and earned a scant living through fishing, agriculture and other labours.

When Archibald Campbell, 3rd Duke of Argyll, succeeded to the title on the death of his brother in 1743 he decided that the old castle was no longer habitable so built the present stately home that we see today. This decision had traumatic ramifications on the townspeople. The Duke no longer wanted the people to live so close to his new fine edifice so decided to remove the old town to its present site on the headland half a mile South from his castle. This move was not met with great enthusiasm by the local population. However as a sop to the better classes he offered a lease on a piece of ground in the new town to build themselves a house.

The Scottish architects ‘John Adam’ and ‘William Mylne’ who also designed the new castle were employed to design the new town. Among the merchants who accepted the lease on a piece of ground was a James Campbell of Silvercraigs who was also provost of the old town. His house was built as the largest and most elaborate in the street. Building works started in 1773 with a view to finishing in 1776 but due to its size and the expense to build was not completed until 1780. An interesting condition of his lease stated that he could sub-let but “only to the better sort of inhabitants of the town such as could afford to pay a rent of ten pounds per year”!!

Provost James Campbell and his wife Jean had a large family, three of which are worth noting:

Dugald (1764-1824), Major General of the 46th Regiment of Foot

Colin (1780-1833), Lt.Col. who commanded the Royal Scots at Waterloo

John (1775-1859), Paymaster in the 46th Regiment of Foot

Another son, James, was killed in action at Corruna in 1805.

Although John was the lowest ranking of the brothers it is his name that is still commemorated today in this beautiful building know as ‘The Paymasters House’.