- Kilchurn Castle
Kilchurn Castle is a ruined 15th century structure on the northeastern end of
Loch Awe , inArgyll and Bute ,Scotland .It was the ancestral home of the Campbells of
Glenorchy , who later became theEarls of Breadalbane also known as the Breadalbane family branch, of theClan Campbell . The earliest construction on the castle was the towerhouse and Laich Hall (looks ontoLoch Awe ). Today, its picturesque setting and romantic state of decay make it one of the most photographed structures in Scotland.History
Kilchurn Castle was built in about 1450 by Sir Colin Campbell, first Lord of Glenorchy, as a five storey
tower house with a courtyard defended by an outer wall. By about 1500 an additional range and a hall had been added to the south side of the castle. Further buildings went up during the 1500s and 1600s. Kilchurn was on a small island in Loch Awe scarcely larger than the castle itself, although it is now connected to the mainland as the water level was altered in 1817. The castle would have been accessed via an underwater or low lying causeway.Lindsay, Maurice "The Castles of Scotland" (1986) Constable London] [Tranter, Nigel "The Fortified House in Scotland . Vol.5, North and West Scotland and miscellaneous" Oliver and Boyd/W. & R. Chambers,, EDINBURGH: Date Published: 1962-70. ISBN-13: 9780550212108 ISBN: 0550212108 ]At the turn of the 16th century Kilchurn Castle was extended by Sir Duncan Campbell with the addition of a single storey dining hall built along the inside of the south curtain. During the second half of the century, another Sir Colin Campbell, the 6th Laird, continued to improve the castle's accommodation by adding some chambers to the north of the tower house, and remodelling the parapet. This included the introduction of the circular corner turrets adorned by corbels, most of which have survived remarkably well.
Towards the end of the 16th century the
Clan MacGregor of Glenstrae were occupying the castle. Once owning the lands of Glenorchy during the 14th century, until they passed through marriage to the Campbells, the MacGregors were appointed keepers to Kilchurn Castle as the Campbells spent much of their time at Fincharn. This arrangement lasted until the very early part of the 17th century, when a violent feud between the two families brought it to an end and the Campbells retook possession.In 1681 Sir John Campbell of Glenorchy was made first
Earl of Breadalbane . To take advantage of the turbulence of the times, he converted Kilchurn into a modern barracks, capable of housing 200 troops. His main addition was the three storey L-shaped block along the north side.Kilchurn was then used as a Government garrison during the 1715 and 1745
Jacobite rising s. The Campbells attempted, unsuccessfully, to sell Kilchurn to the government, after they moved in 1740 toTaymouth Castle in Perthshire.In 1760 the castle was badly damaged by lightning and was completely abandoned; the remains of a turret of a tower, still resting upside-down in the centre of the courtyard, attest to the violence of the storm.
The ruin is in the care of
Historic Scotland , and is open to the public during the summer. Access, during summer only, is by either by boat from Lochawe pier, or on foot fromDalmally . Both points are on theA85 road . During 2006 and 2007 there was an access problem to the castle.Network Rail , in accordance with their policy of blocking foot crossings on railway lines, closed the crossing to Kilchurn, effectively removing land access. However in 2007 access via the nearbyviaduct was created, restoring landward access once more. [ [http://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/lochawe/kilchurncastle/access.html Access Problem at Kilchurn Castle Feature Page on Undiscovered Scotland ] ] [ [http://www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/propertyresults/propertydetail.htm?PropID=PL_167 Property Detail ] ]References
External links
* [http://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/lochawe/kilchurncastle/index.html Kilchurn Castle - Undiscovered Scotland]
*historic-scotland-link|167
* [http://www.nls.uk/pont/places/kilchurn-castle.html 16th century map of Loch Awe and Kilchurn Castle]
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