Kirnan Estate

We are a small estate in Argyll Scotland, offering holiday cottages to let

31/05/2026

Ah May, a big one for us!! So much happened this month: we completed our purchase of the Kirnan & Co buildings on Colchester Square, I left my full time corporate role and, as you’ll see from the pictures, experienced all of the weather!! ☀️ 🌧️ How was yours?

1. I’m not sure what this is or where it’s from 😂 but I think it’s from our trip to Arduaine gardens! Let me know if you know what plant it is!
2. Time with our brilliant architects at Kirnan & Co
3. and 4. More pictures from the glorious Arduaine Gardens
5. Still needed the fire on throughout May! (See the weather point above!)
6. and 7. Took a magical boat trip with definitely want to do another of these in summer!
8. Hailstorms (again, see the weather point above!)
9. Bluebell season 💙💜
10. and 11. Started stripping out the shops and getting ready for the design work to start 🙌
12. All topped off with a fab trip to Canada 🍁 to see my brother and his family over there ❤️

Excited to see what adventures and progress on the shops June brings!

22/05/2026

It was a big day for us today! We had the brilliant team from come and visit again, this time for a conservation survey, an important step as the buildings are B-listed. We loved meeting more of the team that we will be working with too in person!

We also finally managed to get some posters up in the windows of the shops, explaining our plans so do take a look! Our lovely neighbours in alerted us to the fact that a lot of their customers and visitors to the area were asking about what was happening to the shops, worried they were to remain empty, so hopefully the signs help to clarify that!

And finally, it’s my ( ) last day in my corporate role today. I’m so excited for this next adventure, but sad to leave so many amazing colleagues, some of whom are kindly following along here 💙💜. I’ll miss them all and hope they visit one day!

So yes, all in all, a big day and we couldn’t be more excited for what’s next!

New adventures, rural bricks and mortar shop, Lochgilphead, Argyll, Scotland, shop small, shop local, pastures new

08/05/2026

A little update: we’re delighted to be working with who will guide the redesign and configuration of the ex-Square Peg buildings in Colchester Square, Lochgilphead, and help transform them into what will be 🤎

We chose because of the local representation they have in Tamsin, who was born, grew up and now lives in the area surrounding Lochgilphead. So, she knows and understands the local context. We are also thrilled to have access to the wider team and can’t wait to get started!

We are still in the early stages, and as the buildings Category B listed, we do have to get consents for a fair number of things. That said, we are getting going, with some initial clearing and investigation in the building and of course are busy working up more detailed plans for the spaces. Something we all agreed on was the huge potential the buildings have, so we want to do our very best to bring that to life!

We can’t wait to share more as the ideas develop!

Gemma and Rob xx

Rural bricks and mortar business, support local, buy local, shop renovation, listed building

28/04/2026

🔑 So yesterday was a big day! We completed on the purchase of the Square Peg buildings and were able to pick up the keys!! A massive thank you to Jilly for showing us where everything is and how it all works: we could not be more excited to take on this next project!!

First up is a meeting with our architect (more on that in another post: needless to say I’m thrilled to be working with them!) on Thursday to help us bring our vision to life, and then onto more mundane matters, such as working out electricity and water bills, waste collection and all those glamorous (but essential!) items!

We’ve had so much lovely support since we announced our plans for Kirnan & Co, for which we are incredibly grateful, so stay tuned here for more updates! Next up, we will give you a peek of the inside of the shops!

Gemma and Rob x

New adventure, Lochgilphead, Argyll, retail, venison, cafe, clothing, homeware, general store

27/03/2026

👋 Hi everyone! As you might have heard, we’ve some news to share: Rob () and I ( ) are in the process of buying The Square Peg buildings in Lochgilphead! We are incredibly excited at what we’ve got planned for the space. Stay tuned here for all the updates as we share the renovation journey, what it’s like to start a rural bricks and mortar business (especially when the world is pushing more and more online and becoming increasingly technology focussed 🫣), and bringing our vision to reality.

We can’t wait to build a local business - Kirnan & Co - that offers retail experience 🛍️ , champions local produce 🥕 and great food/dining (subject to planning) alll under one roof.

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Adventure, new venture, local business, Lochgilphead, Argyll, Scotland, rural business

05/03/2026

We’ve updated our website to include the deer management experiences we offer at Kirnan. Check out the link in our bio for all the details.

We are so fortunate to have fantastic local partners who are as passionate as us about deer and their management in the Scottish landscape. We can’t wait to share that passion with you!

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Deer stalking, venison, zero food miles, field to fork, sustainable food source

📷

28/02/2026

If you’re looking for something delicious for dinner this weekend, pay a visit to our venison honesty fridge; we’ve got some fantastic Dry Aged steaks and are open every day 10am-4pm.

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Zero food miles, sustainable, healthy food

01/02/2026

👋 Hello February! Which means we made it through January 🤍 for us it seemed to go quite quickly, and I’ve spoken to a few people who felt the same this year, but I know it can be a tricky month for many. Anyway, I’ve been spending time hunkering down, reading, drinking tea, eating cake and resting (just what winter should be imo). I find this time of year great for reflecting on what’s been, but also starting to look ahead. I love the idea from that February is the springboard to brighter days. I found some real joy in the images here from Pinterest (do add credits if anyone knows where they’re from!) that are definitely giving me lots of ideas for the future. I hope they spark a little something in you too! ✨

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February, shortest month, longer days, brighter days, looking ahead

24/01/2026

We’ve been a bit quiet on here recently: just busy with work and some travel but we are back home now!

This first picture popped up this morning in my photos and reminded me of the second picture and the third video, which perfectly highlight the differences in personality between our two dogs, Benji and Finn. As you can see in the first picture, Benji is the picture of calm, just chilling in the buggy. Scroll to the third video and you’ll see Finny running wildly ahead of the buggy 😂 and this is exactly how they are: Benji is gentle and kind, and Finny, while he doesn’t have a nasty bone in his body, is quite high energy and intense. In fact, when my friend’s three young girls stayed with us one summer when Finn was a puppy, he was so rambunctious, they’d come down in the morning apprehensively asking “is the puppy locked away?” (ie in his crate: we were big fans of crate training). They are the same breed (springer spaniel) but have such different personalities! I guess this is the same across all breeds?

Anyway, happy Saturday and as a quick reminder, the venison fridge is stocked and open until 4pm today, and open again tomorrow, 10am - 4pm.

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Springer spaniels, dog personalities, cuteness, Scottish estate life

02/01/2026

We have four fantastic wild Sika haunches available and ready for this weekend. They will weigh in the 2-3kg range and ideal for roasting or steaks at home. Sika is the prime venison in Argyll and carries a bit more natural fat.

Available as order only items to be collected from our honesty fridge. If you would like one, please comment below or drop us a mail on [email protected].

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Wild Argyll venison, zero food miles, sika haunches, order only

Address

Kirnan House
Lochgilphead
PA318QL

Website

http://www.kirnanestate.com/

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