Lochranza Castle

Lochranza Castle stands on a rocky promontory at the northern tip of the Isle of Arran, its L-shaped tower rising above the waters of Lochranza. The present building dates mainly from the 16th century, though its foundations reach back to the 13th. King Alexander III gave the castle and its lands to Walter Stewart, Earl of Menteith, in 1262. Robert the Bruce is said to have landed here in 1306 on his return from Ireland. By the late 14th century the castle had become a royal hunting lodge under Robert II.

The castle passed through many hands in the following centuries. James IV used it during his campaign against the Lord of the Isles in the 1490s. In 1600 Robert Montgomerie of Skelmorlie recovered it for the Marquess of Hamilton. Oliver Cromwell occupied the castle in the 1650s, and by 1705 it belonged to the Hamilton family after purchase by the Duchess of Hamilton. The Blackwood-Davidsons later made it their principal seat before it fell into disuse in the 18th century.

Today the roofless ruins still show the L-plan form and thick walls of a fortified tower house. Visitors walk past the remains of the great hall and private chambers that once served kings and nobles. The site is cared for by Historic Scotland and offers views across the loch to the hills of Arran. The castle’s long history can be traced in its stones, from medieval kings to Cromwell’s soldiers.