Carrick Castle

Carrick Castle stands on a rocky peninsula jutting into Loch Goil on the Cowal Peninsula in Argyll and Bute. Built in the late fourteenth century, it is a tall rectangular tower house with thick stone walls and a small chimney set into a window recess. A smaller seventeenth-century building was later added to the original structure. The castle was once defended by a ditch and drawbridge on the landward side. It is now a scheduled monument and a Category A listed building. The castle has strong links to the Campbells, who probably built it when they dominated the area. James IV used it as a hunting lodge, and Mary, Queen of Scots stayed there in June 1563. During Argyll’s Rising in 1685, the castle was burnt and damaged by cannon fire from HMS Kingfisher. The keep remained a ruin for many years before being sold to the Murrays, the Earls of Dunmore. Today the castle is in private hands and being restored. Visitors see the tall keep with its thick walls and unusual chimney detail. The surrounding area includes modern houses that still bear the name Carrick Castle. Loch Goil’s calm waters reflect the castle’s walls, and the rugged hills of the Cowal Peninsula rise behind it.