Kilchurn Castle

Kilchurn Castle is situated on the A85 close to the junction with the A819 Inveraray road.

The sight of Kilchurn Castle briefly glimpsed through the morning mist, silhouetted in a sunset or with the backdrop of Loch Awe and surrounding hills, is to my mind exactly what a Scottish castle should look like.

I pass by here two or three times a week and always slow down to take in the scene. Usually on family days out we'd pass early morning and the castle would be shrouded in mist - my kids called it Creepy Castle.

If you search the web for Kilchurn Castle many a site will tell that there's no access to the castle. Out of date information! Network Rail, in their infinite and unquestionable wisdom, locked the gates on the track leading to the castle for 'safety reasons'.

After a lengthy dispute regarding access issues, rights of way, much lawyer lingo and a few holidays in the Bahamas by working parties to discuss the situation, (OK, a little bit of poetic licence ...) the dispute was resolved and there is now access to the castle.

Originally built in 1450 by Sir Colin Campbell, first Lord of Glenorchy, and added to in the 16th & 17th centuries. The water level was higher then and the castle sat on a small island - it's suggested that access was via an underground passage or low lying causeway. (Water levels were lowered in 1817 when the lochs outflow was cleared.)

During the 1715 & 1745 Jacobite rebellions the castle was utilised as a government garrison. Efforts by the family to sell the castle were unsuccessful and they left it in 1740.

In 1760 a tower of the castle was struck by lightning blowing the top completely off. What looks like a circular stair in the centre of the grassy courtyard is actually the top of the tower embedded upside down where it landed after the lightning strike.

The castle is now in the care of Historic Scotland -- admission is free, there are no guides or suchlike and you can wander around to your hearts content. There is a boat trip available up Loch Awe - check out the info in the Oban tourist office - which offers some spectacular views and is extremely relaxing. (I'll update this page with contact details for the boat trip as soon as I find it.)