Kilchurn Castle
Castle Argyll and Bute, Scotland
About Kilchurn Castle
Kilchurn sits on a rocky peninsula at the northeastern end of Loch Awe — Scotland's longest freshwater loch — and the views back across the water with Ben Cruachan rising behind make it one of the most photographed ruins in the country. Sir Colin Campbell, 1st Lord of Glenorchy, built the castle in the mid-1400s, and his descendants used it as a power base for roughly 150 years. In 1689, during the first Jacobite Rising, the 1st Earl of Breadalbane converted it into a garrison that could house 200 soldiers, giving it a claim to the oldest surviving barracks on the British mainland. After the Campbells moved on to Taymouth Castle, the place was abandoned and had fallen into ruin by 1770. The five-storey tower house, lower hall, courtyard, and barracks are all still partly standing and open to walk through. A lintel from 1693 carries the initials of the 1st Earl — nicknamed 'Slippery John' for his political maneuvering — and his countess. Getting here involves a short walk from the A85 near Dalmally or a boat from Lochawe pier. The castle is open in summer; visiting in April or September means fewer midges.
Location & details
- Category
- Castle
- Region
- Argyll and Bute, Scotland, United Kingdom
- Coordinates
- 56.40364, -5.02721
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