Barcaldine Castle

Barcaldine Castle stands on a rise near the northern edge of Loch Creran, nine miles north of Oban in Argyll and Bute. Built between 1601 and 1609 by Duncan Campbell of Glenorchy, the black harled walls of the tower house rise four storeys to a corbelled parapet. In 1692 the castle was attacked during the massacre of Glencoe, when Campbell troops took part. By the late 19th century the building had fallen into disrepair and the family moved to the nearby Barcaldine House. The castle’s bottle dungeon is one of the few surviving in Scotland, carved deep into the rock. Two hidden passageways once allowed secret movement between floors and out to the grounds. The restored interiors show original oak beams and fireplaces from the early 17th century. David Whitehead bought the castle in November 2009 and began further repairs. Visitors walk through vaulted ground-floor rooms and climb the narrow turnpike stair to the upper chambers. From the parapet there are wide views across Loch Creran to the peaks of Glen Coe. The surrounding policies include mature woodland and a walled garden planted in the 19th century.