From Game Larder to Roundhouse Shop & Ticket Office
The historic Roundhouse Shop & Ticket Office opens for summer 2026.
Just above the South Shrubbery at Mount Stuart stand two small but remarkable buildings: the Game Larder and the Beef House.
The smaller, square Beef House is a Georgian structure, likely corresponding to the “Cold Meat Larder” listed in an 1823 inventory of the Bute Estate buildings. It reflects an earlier phase of Mount Stuart’s history, when such practical spaces were central to the daily running of the estate and its household.
Nearby is the larger, circular Game Larder, built in the Arts and Crafts style between 1908 and 1938 for the fourth Marquess of Bute. Designed for the hanging and storage of game taken from the estate - including deer, pheasants, and rabbits - it retains many of its original features. Hooks once used for this purpose can still be seen lining the shelves.
Today, this distinctive circular building has been carefully transformed and reopened as the Roundhouse Shop and Ticket Office. While its original form remains intact, the interior has been reimagined as a welcoming retail space for visitors, just a short walk from the Visitor Car Park.
Where game once hung, visitors now find a thoughtfully curated selection of locally made crafts and island-inspired gifts, including pieces from the Isle of Bute Artist Collective.
Photograph by Keith Hunter.