Kilchurn Castle

Kilchurn Castle stands on a rocky peninsula at the north-east end of Loch Awe in Argyll and Bute. Built in the mid-15th century by Sir Colin Campbell of Glenorchy, it was the first of several castles the Campbells used to extend their power across the central Highlands. Originally a five-storey tower house with a walled courtyard, it once stood on a small island reached by a causeway. The castle passed from Clan Gregor to the Campbells around 1440 and became the stronghold of a cadet branch that dominated the region for two centuries. Sir Duncan Campbell of Glenorchy added a dining hall in the 16th century, and later generations enlarged the living quarters and built a chapel. The castle’s history reflects the turbulent politics of the 17th and early 18th centuries. Sir John Campbell, later Earl of Breadalbane, converted it into a barracks for 200 troops in 1693 to help control the Highlands. During the Jacobite rising of 1715, Breadalbane used Kilchurn as a meeting place before joining the rebellion. After the rising failed, government supporters seized the castle and held it until the mid-18th century. A lightning strike in 1760 left the structure roofless, and by 1770 it was abandoned. The water level of Loch Awe later rose, turning the ruin into a peninsula visible today. Visitors approach the castle on foot from the A85 road near Dalmally or by boat from Lochawe pier. The railway viaduct crosses the loch just above the site, adding to the dramatic setting. The remains include the tall tower, the south range with its chapel, and the three-storey barracks block added in the 17th century. The courtyard still holds the upturned turret thrown by the 1760 storm. Historic Environment Scotland maintains the ruin, though falling masonry has closed parts of the site for conservation. Walkers can circle the outside and see the castle’s weathered walls rising from the water’s edge.