Things to do in Argyll And Bute

Airds Castle is the ruined remains of a medieval castle located on a rocky outcrop overlooking the Kilbrannan Sound towards Arran. The castle is about 300m south of Carradale Harbour and 100m inland. All that remains of the castle is parts of a stone curtain wall that appears originally to have enclosed ta rocky outcrop. The walls are believed to have surrounded an irregular five sided area about 67m from north to south, by about 24m from east to west. The curtain wall was about 1.5m thick, and what is left reaches up to over 3m at their highest on the eastern side. Airds Castle was held by the Lords of the Isles until the late 15th century when it was forfeited to the crown.

Barcaldine Castle is located just over a mile north of Benderloch in Argyll and Bute. Barcaldine Castle is an L-plan structure with four levels. The ground floor has the kitchen, a bottle dungeon and a cellar that has been converted into a dining area. The Great Hall and Lairds Parlor are on the first floor. The second floor is now in use as bedrooms, and the top floor is private rooms for the family. In the late 19th Century the family returned and restored the castle. The castle was built by Sir Duncan Campbell at the beginning on the 17th century and was once known as the Black Castle of Benderloch, because of teh dark stone used in its construction. The castle remained in the Campbell family until it was abandoned in 1735. The Campbells bought the castle back in 1896 and restored it and the family still occupy the building.

Carnasserie Castle is a ruined 16th century tower house located a mile north of Kilmartin. Carnasserie Castle is a 5 storey tower house with a longer three storey hall house, built by John Carswell in 1565. . To the south and west is a partially walled courtyard garden. It is now a Scheduled Ancient Monument in the care of Historic Scotland and is open to the public in summer. In 1685 the castle was blown up by Royalist forces as payback the owner supporting the Monmouth Rebellion against James VII in 1685. The ruins were never repaired, although the outer walls remain largely undamaged.

Carrick Castle is located between Cuilmuich and Carrick on Loch Goil, Argyll and Bute. The castle is a 15th century tower house built by the Campbell Earls of Argyll. The rectangular tower is four storeys and, although in ruins, is reasonably well preserved. There are remains of a courtyard on the loch side of the castle. Mary, Queen of Scots visited Carrick Castle in 1563. The castle was bombarded by HMS Kingfisher in 1685, during the Argyll Rebellion (an uprising against James VII). The tower was badly damaged in the attack and lost its roof. The castle was only intermittently occupied after that The property was sold to the Murrays, Earls of Dunmore in (????).

New Castle Lachlan stands on the shore of Loch Fyne in Argyll, one of the most beautiful sea lochs in Scotland, and is the seat of the MacLachlan clan whose connection with this land extends back many centuries. The present building, a Georgian-era castle house constructed in the early nineteenth century to replace the older medieval tower nearby, sits within a wooded estate on the loch shore and presents an attractive whitewashed facade to the water. The MacLachlan family still occupies the castle, giving it the distinction of continuous family residence that sets it apart from many Scottish historic properties. Loch Fyne is one of the longest sea lochs on the west coast of Scotland, penetrating deep into the Argyll hills and providing the surrounding landscape with its characteristic combination of wooded hillsides, dark water and distant mountain views. The loch is famous for its herring fishery, which sustained the communities along its shores for centuries and gave rise to the kippers and smoked fish still produced in the area today. The atmosphere of the loch shore is quiet and deeply scenic, and Castle Lachlan fits naturally into a landscape that has changed relatively little in its essential character over many centuries. The MacLachlan clan has one of the more poignant histories of the Jacobite period. The chief at the time of the 1745 Rising supported the Young Pretender and fell at the Battle of Culloden, after which the old castle was bombarded from the loch by a government warship. That history connects the building and the family directly to the defining crisis of eighteenth-century Highland Scotland and adds a particular resonance to the peaceful loch shore setting today. The grounds of the estate include established woodland walks and access to the loch shore, and the combination of the two castle buildings, the old ruin on the promontory and the newer family house, provides an interesting architectural narrative spanning several centuries of change in the design of Scottish country houses.

Old Castle Lachlan stands on a rocky promontory projecting into Loch Fyne in Argyll, a ruined medieval tower house of considerable atmosphere that represents the fortified seat of the MacLachlan chiefs across several centuries of clan history. The castle dates from at least the fifteenth century and possibly earlier, and its position on the loch shore reflects the dual importance of maritime access and territorial defence that shaped the siting of so many west coast Scottish strongholds. From the tower the MacLachlan chiefs could control movement along this section of Loch Fyne and monitor the approaches to their estate by both land and water. The ruin's setting on its rocky promontory above the loch is one of the most evocative of any small castle in Argyll. The dark water of Loch Fyne stretches in both directions, the wooded hillsides of the Cowal Peninsula rising on the far shore, and the atmospheric quality of the ruined tower against this backdrop makes the old castle one of the more photographed smaller historic buildings on the west coast. At different times of day and year the combination of light, water and stone produces a succession of moods ranging from austere grandeur to intimate melancholy. The castle's most dramatic historical moment came in 1746 in the aftermath of the Battle of Culloden, when a government warship sailed up Loch Fyne and bombarded the castle as punishment for the MacLachlan chief's support of the Jacobite cause. The chief himself had already been killed at Culloden, and the bombardment of his ancestral seat was intended as a final statement of government authority over a rebellious clan. The damage inflicted in that attack contributed to the ruin that visitors see today, and understanding the castle in this historical context adds considerably to its power as a site. The new Castle Lachlan, the family's replacement residence built in the nineteenth century, stands a short distance away on the same loch shore, allowing visitors to see both buildings and understand the narrative of architectural succession that the two structures together tell.

Castle Stalker can be seen from the A828 main road about mid-way between Oban and Glen Coe. The islet is accessible with difficulty from the shore at low tide. Castle Stalker is a four story tower house (or keep) situated in a picturesque location on a tidal islet on Loch Laich off Loch Linnhe. This castle is a favorite view for postcards and calendars The castle is a well-preserved medieval tower-house. Castle Stalker is privately owned and visits can be arranged through the official web site for the castle, subject to advance notice, weather and tides. Castle Stalker was built originally a small fort built around 1320 by Clan MacDougall who were then Lords of Lorn. Around 1388 the Stewarts took over the Lordship of Lorn, and it is believed that they built the castle in its present form around the 1440s. The castle passed to Clan Campbell in the 17th century. The Campbells abandoned the castle around 1840, when it lost its roof. In 1908 a Stewart bought the castle again and carried out basic conservation work, and in 1965 Lt. Col. D. R. Stewart Allward acquired the castle and fully restored it. The Arts This castle was used in the filming of the 1975 movie, "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" - Castle Stalker was the Castle Aaargh! seen at the end of the movie. It also appeared in the film "Highlander: Endgame".

Castle Sween stands at the mouth of Loch Sween. The castle was built in the late 12the century by Suibhne (pronounced Sween), ancestor of the MacSweens. Four massive walls surround a courtyard which probably had wooden structures inside originally. The walls are strengthened at the corners and there are broad buttresses in the Norman style halfway along each side of the quadrangle. The entrance gate is an arched opening in a ten foot thick section of the south wall. The towers were later additions to wooden structures which have now since vanished. In 1933 the castle was put in the care of the Historic Building and Monuments Directorate (HBMD) and is now in the care of Historic Scotland. During the 13th century a large squat corner tower was built on the northeast corner of the courtyard. The lower floor contains the remains of a kitchen and bake-house. In the late 15th century, a round tower, known as the MacMillan tower, was built at the northwest corner. Next to the round tower a rectangular building was added which may have been a barracks. The castle reverted to the Crown in 1481, when James III appointed as Keeper Colin Campbell, 1st Earl of Argyll. The castle was captured by the MacDonalds in 1647 and partly dismantled

The Corrievreckan Whirlpool in the Gulf of Corryvreckan between the islands of Jura and Scarba is the third largest whirlpool in the world and one of the most spectacular natural phenomena on the Scottish coast, a permanent whirlpool created by the interaction of the tidal streams of the North Atlantic with the irregular seabed topography of the narrow gulf in a turbulence of standing waves, overfalls and rotating water that can be heard several kilometres away in strong conditions and is considered unnavigable even for experienced seamen. The whirlpool is generated by the interaction of the strong tidal streams flowing between the Atlantic and the Firth of Lorne with a submerged pinnacle of rock approximately 29 metres below the surface in the centre of the gulf, around which the water rotates in a vortex of considerable force. At its most active, during spring tides with westerly gales, the surface disturbance can extend across the full width of the gulf and the roar of the water can be heard at considerable distance. The name Corryvreckan derives from the Gaelic Coire Bhreacain, meaning cauldron of the plaid. George Orwell nearly drowned in the Corryvreckan in 1947 while he was writing Nineteen Eighty-Four on Jura, his small boat being overturned in the whirlpool before he and his companions were rescued. The whirlpool can be viewed from the northern coast of Jura and boat trips from various points on the mainland and islands approach the gulf at safe distances.

Craignish Castle is a medieval tower house of Campbell of Craignish on the Craignish peninsula in Argyll and Bute, overlooking the Sound of Jura and the Corryvreckan whirlpool, one of the largest and most powerful in the world. The Campbells of Craignish were one of many Campbell branches establishing territorial lordships throughout Argyll as the main Campbell family consolidated its dominance across the western Highlands and Islands from the fourteenth century onward. The Craignish peninsula today is a place of quiet beauty with exceptional views toward the islands of Scarba, Jura and the distant Antrim coast of Northern Ireland. The sheltered waters of Loch Craignish are popular with yachts, and the peninsula provides some of the most scenic and least visited coastal walking in mid-Argyll.

Duart Castle (Caisteal Dhubhairt) is located on the Isle of Mull, off the west coast of Scotland in the area of Argyll and Bute. The castle was built in the 13th century and was the seat of the Clan MacLean. The castle stands on a crag at the end of the peninsula jutting out into the Sound of Mull. Duart was originally a rectangular wall enclosing a courtyard. In the 14th century the keep was built adjoining the outside of the original curtain wall. In the mid 17th century small vaulted cellars with a hall at first floor level were built within the courtyard on the South East side. At the same time the gateway entrance to the courtyard was strengthened by a two story gatehouse. Today the castle is open to the public. Visitors may tour the dungeons and state rooms, and up to the top of the keep. Duart Castle was attacked and laid siege in 1647 by the Argyll government troops of Clan Campbell, but were defeated and driven off by the Royalist troops of Clan MacLean. In September 1653, Oliver Cromwell sent a force of six ships to capture the clan chief, but the Macleans had already fled to Tiree. Three of Cromwell's ships were lost in a storm, including HMS Swan. In 1691 Duart Castle was surrendered by the Clan MacLean to the chief of Clan Campbell, Archibald Campbell, 1st Duke of Argyll. The Castle was used as a garrison for Government troops until 1751 when the castle was abandoned. It was bought by Sir Fitzroy Donald Maclean, the 26th Chief of the Clan MacLean, in 1911, and has since been restored. The Arts Duart Castle was used as a location in the 1999 film Entrapment, starring Sean Connery and Catherine Zeta-Jones.

Dunderave Castle is a restored sixteenth-century MacNaughton tower house on the shores of Loch Fyne in Argyll and Bute, a short distance east of Inveraray. The MacNaughtons held lands in this part of Argyll from at least the thirteenth century before their fortunes waned with the growing dominance of the Campbell earls of Argyll. The castle was substantially rebuilt and restored in the early twentieth century by Sir Robert Lorimer, the distinguished Scottish Arts and Crafts architect, in a sympathetic restoration widely recognised as an important example of Arts and Crafts heritage practice. Now a private residence visible from the road and loch, Dunderave sits within the exceptional landscape of Loch Fyne, one of Scotland's finest sea lochs.

Dunollie Castle is a ruined thirteenth-century tower house north of Oban in Argyll and Bute, the ancestral seat of Clan MacDougall whose ancestors were kings of Dál Riata and lords of Lorne, one of the most powerful kindreds in medieval western Scotland. The castle stands on a rocky headland fortified from at least the early medieval period and was captured by Robert Bruce following his victory at the Pass of Brander in 1308, ending the MacDougall lordship of Lorne. The famous Brooch of Lorne, said to have been taken from Bruce during the earlier Battle of Dalrigh in 1306, remains in the possession of the MacDougall family today. The castle ruins are managed by the MacDougall clan in conjunction with the Dunollie Museum interpreting the history of the clan and site.

Dunstaffnage Castle is situated about 3 miles from Oban in the Argyll and Bute area of western Scotland. The castle is built on a rocky promontory at the entrance to Loch Etive, and is surrounded on three sides by sea. The castle dates back to the 13th century and was built by the MacDougall lords of Lorn. It has been held since the 15th century by the Clan Campbell. Dunstaffnage Castle an irregular quadrangle with rounded towers at three corners. The walls are coursed rubble, with sandstone dressings, and are up to 60 feet high including the bedrock platform. The walls are up to 10 feet thick. A parapet walk once went around the walls, and has been partially restored. Arrow slits, later converted into gunloops, are the only openings in the walls. Three round towers were built on the north, east, and west. The north tower is the largest and was three or four storeys tall. The west tower was barely taller than the curtain wall and could only be entered via the parapet walk. The basement level contains a pit prison. The east tower was rebuilt in the late 15th century as a gatehouse (replacing an earlier round tower). The gatehouse is a four-storey tower house, with the entrance passage running through it. The present approach to the gate is by a stone stair, replacing an earlier drawbridge. Dunstaffnage is maintained by Historic Scotland, and is open to the public, although the 16th century gatehouse is private property. Robert Bruce defeated the Clan MacDougall at the Battle of the Pass of Brander in 1308 or 1309, and took control of Dunstaffnage Castle. James I seized the castle in 1431, following the Battle of Inverlochy, as his enemies were hiding inside. James III granted Dunstaffnage to Colin Campbell, 1st Earl of Argyll in 1470. The Campbells were loyal allies of the king, and Dunstaffnage was used as a base for government soldiers during the 15th and 16th centuries. James IV visited Dunstaffnage on two occasions. During the Jacobite risings of 1715 and 1745, the castle was occupied by government troops. Flora MacDonald, who helped Bonnie Prince Charlie to escape from Scotland, was briefly imprisoned here while en route to imprisonment in London. In 1810 a fire gutted the castle. Restoration work was undertaken in 1903 by the Duke of Argyll. In 1958 the castle was handed into state care and is now a Historic Scotland property. Legends A ghost, known as the "Ell-maid of Dunstaffnage", is said to haunt the castle.

Duntrune Castle near Kilmartin in mid-Argyll is a medieval castle of at least twelfth-century origin on a rocky promontory at the head of Loch Crinan with views over the Sound of Jura, and one of the oldest continuously inhabited castles in Scotland, home of the Malcolm family since 1792. The castle incorporates Norman-period fabric within a building substantially modified over eight centuries of continuous occupation and adaptation. The surrounding area of mid-Argyll around Kilmartin Glen is one of the most archaeologically significant landscapes in Scotland, containing an exceptional density of Neolithic and Bronze Age cairns, standing stones, stone circles and cup-and-ring marked rock outcrops constituting one of the finest prehistoric landscapes in Britain. The Kilmartin Museum provides interpretation of this remarkable heritage.