Tullichewan Castle

Tullichewan Castle stands in West Dunbartonshire on the western edge of Alexandria, close to Loch Lomond. The estate was originally called Tuloch Eoghain and belonged to the Colquhoun family in the 17th century. In 1792 James Buchanan bought the land and commissioned Robert Lugar to design Tullichewan Castle. Lugar also designed Balloch Castle and created Scotland’s first asymmetrical Gothic house here. The Horrocks family lived in the castle from 1817 until 1843, after which it passed to William Campbell’s Glasgow merchant family. The castle served as a Royal Navy requisition during the Second World War and later housed workers from the Royal Naval Torpedo Factory. After the war J Scott Anderson returned to live there until upkeep became too costly. The building was finally demolished in 1954 and most of the estate was lost to roads, housing and the Vale of Leven Hospital. A few fragments remain, including part of the original tower visible from the A82. Visitors can still see the surviving stables and a section of the old tower beside the dual carriageway. The north lodge has disappeared within the Tullichewan Caravan Park area, while the south lodge survives on Main Street in Alexandria. The estate’s walled orchard once stood near the caravan park, but only the orchard walls remain. Christie Park now occupies part of the former grounds, and the A811 cuts through what was once private parkland.