Ardgowan Estate is owned by the Shaw Stewart family and has been in the family for over 600 years. The house is set in the middle of 400 acres of beautiful parkland on the south shores of the Firth of Clyde and is home to Lady Shaw Stewart and her son Sir Ludovic, the 12th Baronet.

The lands of Ardgowan were given to John Stewart by his father King Robert 111 of Scotland on 5th may 1403. Robert 111 was Robert the Bruce’s great grandson and the estate has been passed down from father to son or uncle to nephew to the present day.

The first historical mention of the Castle of Ardgowan - the tower at the bottom of the garden - was in 1307. At that time the castle was an English garrison commanded by Sir Philip Mowbray. Following a battle with the Scots, Mowbray and his troops were defeated and fled into Ayrshire. There was a castle here in the days of Bruce but the present building is of a later date, probably the end of the 15th century.

Houston was the surname of the Houston family. Helenor Houston was Sir John Shaw’s grand–daughter and her marriage to Sir Michael Stewart in 1736 greatly enriched the joint family and led to the building of Ardgowan House. The name Shaw Stewart was born and the estate increased in size as the Shaws also owned the ancient Barony of Greenock.

Ardgowan House - the house of the smith - was built between 1798 and 1801 by Sir John Shaw Stewart the 4th Baronet. The house was designed by William Cairncross who was Robert Adam’s assistant when he designed and built Culzean Castle. Culzean had just been completed and greatly influenced the original design of Ardgowan House. Later generations altered the house eg. William Burn was commissioned to alter the interior, especially the entrance and the staircase. The chapel, designed by Henderson, was added in 1854 and in 1904 Sir Robert Lorimer restored the house and added the conservatory.

The design for the landscaped parkland around the house still survives. Signed by the designer James Ramsay in 1797, the planting accurately followed his plan. The snowdrops were also

planted at this time. Unlike our Scottish bluebells they are not native but were imported by Sir John’s wife Lady Frances.

A portrait of the Emperor Napoleon hangs on the main staircase. This was given to Sir Michael Shaw Stewart, the 6th Baronet, by Napoleon’s mother Mme. Mere whom he had met in Paris. Michael also brought back to Ardgowan the hat which had been worn by Napoleon during the campaign of 1807.

In 1854 Catherine Shaw Stewart sailed to the Crimean war along with the Lady of the Lamp, Florence Nightingale. She gave up her opulent lifestyle to serve as a nurse and became one of the angels of mercy based at the British military hospital at Scutari. Catherine’s work at the hospital was highly commended by Florence Nightingale.

Ardgowan was used as a military hospital during the Great War 1914 – 1918 and again during the Second World War 1939 – 1945. In August 1941 following an abortive air raid on Greenock, the Luftwaffe dropped a stick of bombs close to Ardgowan. Fortunately there were no casualties but many windows in the house were smashed and Ardgowan gained the dubious distinction of being the first Scottish hospital to be damaged by German bombs.

Over the years farming and forestry have been the traditional enterprises of the estate. However as times have changed the family has diversified into other businesses. Lady Shaw Stewart has developed Ardgowan Antiques, corporate entertaining and residential study tours in Ardgowan House. The home farm at Bankfoot has been developed as Ardgowan Livery, offering livery services.