A remarkably modern living room for its time, the Saloon was chosen by the 5th Duke to be a relaxing area, where guests could have breakfast, play billiards or make music.

In the corner is a grand piano where the songwriters Lerner and Loewe composed some of the songs for their musical My Fair Lady, while staying at the Castle.

Since the early 1780's the main displays of Campbell family portraits have been arranged here, and it is possible to follow the family through history, starting with a portrait of the first Duke and and going right up to today with a photograph of the present Duke and his son, the Marquess of Lorne.

At either end of the Saloon are two paintings which face each other and reflect an intense rivalry between the artists. At one end there is a Gainsborough portait of Field Marshall the Rt. Hon Henry Seymour-Conway, son in law of the 4th Duke of Argyll.  If you look at the picture closely there are obvious signs that the picture was enlarged after it was finished, so it would match the size of the Pompeo Batoni of the 8th Duke of Hamilton, step-son to the 5th Duke at the other end of the room. 

The paintings and artefacts in the Saloon trace the family history from the Earls of Argyll, through to the creation of the Dukedom.  The family famously switched their allegiance from Charles the Second to Oliver Cromwell and then at the restoration, back to the Monarchy.