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Castle Campbell | |
County |
Clackmannanshire | |
How to get there |
10 miles east of Stirling, off A91 | |
History
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The
castle stands on a rocky promontory between two streams known as the Burn of Care and the
Burn of Sorrow.
Colin Campbell, the 1st Earl of Argyll inherited the 'Lands of Dollar and Glume' in 1481 and he was probably responsible for replacing the original buildings with the substantial grey tower which forms the heart of the castle seen today. It is still in a good state of preservation and is 60 feet high. There are four storeys, three of which have fine vaulted ceilings. In the basement there was a pit prison. In 1489 the 1st Earl had the name changed by Act of Parliament from 'Castle of Gloume' to Castle Campbell. Thereafter the castle expanded as the following generations of Campbells required more accommodation. During the 16th century the tower house was enlarged to form a quadrangle. However, development was restricted by the small size of its rocky site. In 1556 John Knox visited Archibald, 4th Earl of Argyll and preached to crowds from the castle's garden. At the time of the National Covenant in the 1640s, Archibald, 8th Earl and 1st Marquess of Argyll was a staunch supporter of the Parliamentary cause. The 8th Earl fought hard against the Royalists and in particular against his great enemy James Graham, Marquess of Montrose. Within 11 years both earls had been executed. Before his death in 1661 Argyll probably saw the burning of the castle in 1654 by a band of Royalists. Following the destruction only the tower house and east range could continue in use and the rest remained derelict. The Argylls lived at the castle until the early 19th century when it was sold by George, 6th Duke of Argyll. Today the castle is owned by the Department of the Environment. |
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