Castle Lachlan old
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.