He was brought up in Portugal and France, educated at Institut Le Rosey in Switzerland and Glenalmond College in Scotland before going on to McGill University in Canada where he studied engineering.

[1] In 1953, he was made a Fellow of the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce.

Following his military service he worked in banking, then spent four years as a sales executive with Rank Xerox Export, regularly travelling behind the Iron Curtain.

[1] On the death of his father in 1973, Argyll became a member of the board of directors of three distilleries and in 1977 became Chairman of Beinn Bhuidhe Holdings Ltd. in 1977.

The couple had two children:[2] Iona, Duchess of Argyll, and her daughter Lady Louise are both patronesses of the Royal Caledonian Ball.