This map location—Castle House—is an impressive villa built in 1822 as a summer house for James Ewing Esquire of Strathleven. The imposing Gothic-style building, situated near the ancient Dunoon Castle site and High Kirk, is now home to the Castle House Museum. Before the construction of Castle House, Dunoon was described as a "small decayed village." However, innovations in steam-powered transport and James Ewing’s prominence elevated the town’s reputation, sparking its rapid expansion as a Victorian holiday destination and desirable place to live.
James Ewing (1775–1853), the original owner of Castle House, was a highly successful Glasgow merchant and served as Lord Provost of Glasgow from 1832 to 1833. Ewing built his business from the ground up under the name James Ewing & Co., becoming an agent in Glasgow for imports from two sugar plantations in Jamaica. These plantations relied on enslaved labor and were located in the Caymans and St. Catherine, Jamaica.
Ewing was also a founding member of a pro-slavery lobbying group in Glasgow, highlighting his deep connection to Scotland's problematic slave legacy. Between February 1836 and October 1837, Ewing and his partner, William Mathieson, claimed compensation for a minimum of 586 enslaved individuals across five plantations in Jamaica. They received £9,328 8s 10d from the British government—a sum equivalent to approximately £1.3 million today.
Ewing’s story is intertwined with the key themes of the Dunoon Goes POP project. He was deeply involved in slavery, played a significant role in the sugar trade, and leveraged his wealth to become a prominent business owner and public figure. His influence served as a catalyst for the Victorian influx of tourism to Dunoon and its subsequent development. The accessibility of sugar and other commodities during the 19th century, linked directly to slavery and trade, coincided with Dunoon’s Victorian growth, creating a demand for pharmacies and products like medicinal soft drinks.
Image: James Ewing. © Glasgow Museums and Libraries Collection - The Mitchell Library, Special Collections