Castle Campbell

After a few days in Glasgow to be together and get acquainted to being in Scotland, Dana and I set out to the west toward the town of Oban.  But first we had to go northeast to the village of Dollar, and Castle Campbell.  We’d rented a car but refused to almost double the cost by renting a GPS from Avis. Our first purchase was in the airport – a Scotland road map. We’ve been driving with maps for decades now and we figured we could manage. Well, as it turns out, yes and no.

While we were in Glasgow we worked out some tricks to use our iPad and Google Maps to map out where we wanted to go before we left the flat. This amazing little tool became a “kind of” GPS, because once we saved the route and kept the app open, it kept track of where we were with astounding accuracy! We made good use of this until we were ready to head out of town, and for backup we got a data package for Dana’s iPhone, then we could get active instructions when we needed the help, or if we changed plans. Still, we used the map every leg of our journey.

My mother’s family name is Campbell, and is linked to Clan Campbell. I’ll not try to give the clan history here – too much over too long a time with too much conflict to try and sort out. Depending on where we were, I was either welcomed or cautioned not to claim Campbell too loudly. But on this day we would go see a heritage site of my family, and we didn’t know what to expect. We stopped at the Dollar Museum and saw exhibits of the valley, the village history, the castle, and the Campbells.

We turned left from the museum, went about 10 yards, and turned left again. Of course, in Scotland, once you turn off any main road you are in a lane, which in most of the US would barely qualify as a bike lane. This lane twisted and turned and wound its way up the hill until we reached a car park. The road went further after a sign that cautioned that it would be narrow in places, and we decided to risk it. I’m glad we did because this was a steep uphill stretch, and at the top was another car park and a gate. We parked the car and walked up and down a path for about a kilometer to reach the castle site.

The place is so shrouded in trees there was only one spot on the drive uphill that we could glimpse the structure, and we didn’t have too many other glimpses until we turned a final corner and the tower was in clear sight.  What a sight!

This castle was started in the 15^th century, and was likely built on a previous fortification. Defensively, it is in a very powerful position, and these structures were built for defense in an age when an army could literally come marching into your valley any time. I have dozens of images of this castle, far too many to share here, but let me show you a few things of interest.

The Tower House – this is the oldest part of the structure, and it isn’t known who built it. It has very thick walls for strength, fortification, and to contain staircases and small closets. The original staircase was located within the nearest corner in this image, but it was replaced in about 1600 by a larger stair.

The Hall – this was the first floor above the basement, which was for storage. The hall was the most public room of the tower, with a vaulted roof and fireplace at one end. There is a pit prison at the far end of the room – not a happy place to be from the looks of it.

This window in the hall (above) faces west to get the afternoon sun. Note the wall – this is about 5 feet thick!

The First Chamber – the next floor up, which may have been the “living room” for the Laird and his family. The wooden beams support the floor for the second chamber above, most likely the owner’s bedchamber.

Staircase – I know, this is not your normal view. This is the new and improved stair that was added in the 1600s. It certainly is broader than the original, but is still not quite up to modern code. This bottom-side view shows amazing craftsmanship that goes into carving out the stones to make steps for this spiral. Wow.

The Roof – this was rebuilt in 1948, and is in great shape still. I’m sure the slate panels will last decades longer. This offers a spectacular view on all sides of the tower. 

(the Great Hall from above)

(the great hall from below)

 

 The Great Hall – this large space was added around 1500, with two floors, kitchens, chambers, and a spiral stair at each end. This is what remains after it was burned in a family dispute.

We were fortunate to visit the castle on a cool sunny day – a hot sunny day might have done us in! But we climbed from bottom to top and back down, and all over the grounds, and then had to hike back out. So if you go, remember to pack in some water and snacks (which I didn’t) so you aren’t parched and empty by the time you leave. 

We romanticize the age of the castles, and I suppose it was a good life if you were the Laird or part of the immediate family. Otherwise, I think it was a harsh, brutal, short life. I’m thrilled for the opportunity to have seen my family’s ancestral home now, but I’m really glad I wasn’t here then!  

We finished our visit dry and hungry in the middle of the afternoon.  Back in the Dollar there were two restaurants, and of course we chose the best, the Bridge Street Kitchen, for lunch. Oh, it was a good choice! BTW, we didn't eat at a single fast food anything on this trip, and the food was fantastic!  After a great lunch we headed for Oban, on the west coast, for the night - here's one shot from the harbor at twilight.

Best to all, More soon, Mark

All images copyright 2015 by Stone Ridge Photographers

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