Castle Campbell facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Castle Campbell |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Designated | 2 December 2015 |
| Reference no. | SM13611 |
|
Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes in Scotland
|
|
| Designated | 31 March 2007 |
| Reference no. | GDL00089 |
| Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 420: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). | |
Castle Campbell is an amazing medieval castle. You can find it high above the town of Dollar, Clackmannanshire, in central Scotland. For hundreds of years, from the 1400s to the 1800s, it was the main home in the lowlands for the powerful Earls and Dukes of Argyll. These were the leaders of Clan Campbell. Even Mary, Queen of Scots, visited the castle in the 1500s. She was very impressed and said, "this reminds me of home."
Contents
Discovering Castle Campbell's Past
Castle Campbell was first known as Castle Gloom. This name might come from an old Scottish word, glom, which means "chasm." This makes sense because the castle sits between two narrow, deep valleys. It's a naturally protected spot!
How Castle Gloom Became Castle Campbell
The first main tower of the castle was built around 1430. It was built for John Stewart, Lord Lorne. Around 1460, a very important person named Colin Campbell, 1st Earl of Argyll got the castle. He married Isabel Stewart, who was Lord Lorne's daughter.
The first time the castle is mentioned in history is in 1461. The Pope himself, Pope Paul II, sent out an official letter. This letter was against Walter Stewart, Lord Lorne's son. It said he had attacked and damaged the "Place of Glom." Colin Campbell was at the Pope's court at the time. He might have helped get the Pope involved. You can still see signs that the tower was rebuilt after this attack.
Having Castle Gloom helped the Campbell family become even more powerful. Their lands stretched from Argyll in the west all the way into central Scotland. This was also good for Colin Campbell. He was in charge of the King's household, so he needed to be near the royal court often.
In 1490, Colin Campbell asked the new King, James IV of Scotland, to change the castle's name. The King agreed, and by an act of parliament, "Gloom" officially became "Castle Campbell." This name change probably showed how important and grand the word "castle" was back then.
Growing the Castle's Grandeur
At this time, the castle had its main tower. It also had other buildings around a courtyard and gardens. The east side of the castle was likely built first. After the second Earl took over in 1493, a large new section was started on the south side. These new buildings looked a lot like parts of Stirling Castle, which was being built around the same time.
The new south section included a fancy set of rooms for important guests. It had a large hall, an outer room, and a bedroom. These rooms had big windows facing south, looking out over the gardens and the beautiful Devon Valley. This part of the castle also had more private rooms. You could reach them by two staircases that faced the courtyard.
Castle Campbell in the 1500s
In the 1500s, the fourth Earl of Argyll became a big supporter of the Scottish Reformation. This was a major change in Scotland's religion, moving towards Protestantism. His family supported a famous preacher named John Knox. Knox visited Castle Campbell and preached there in 1556.
Royal Visits and Rebellions
In January 1563, Mary, Queen of Scots, stayed at Castle Campbell for three days. She was there for a wedding! Margaret, the sister of the fifth Earl of Argyll, was marrying James Stewart, Lord Doune. The wedding party included a fun play with people dressed as shepherds. John Knox, however, was not happy about the dancing! Knox came back to Castle Campbell in February 1564 to meet with the Earl of Argyll again.
After Queen Mary married Lord Darnley in 1565, Argyll joined other Protestant lords in a rebellion. This was called the Chaseabout Raid. Mary and Darnley then took control of Castle Campbell.
Castle Improvements
In the more peaceful 1590s, Archibald Campbell, the seventh Earl, made more changes. He rebuilt the east side of the castle. This connected the south rooms with newly decorated guest rooms in the tower. The new part had a beautiful two-arched loggia (an open hallway) facing the courtyard. It was made of smooth, polished stone. Behind this were long galleries, which were very fashionable at the time. These added more space and new stairs.
Destruction and Later Years
The Earls of Argyll continued to support the Protestant side. In the mid-1600s, there were big religious wars. Archibald Campbell, 8th Earl of Argyll, became the leader of the Presbyterian Covenanters. They were against the King's supporters, led by James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose.
The Castle's Burning
In 1645, Montrose's soldiers were on their way to a battle. They destroyed the lands around Castle Campbell, including the towns of Dollar and Muckhart. Many of Montrose's men were from Clan Maclean, who had been rivals of the Campbells for a long time. Luckily, the castle itself was not damaged, and no one tried to attack it. In return, Argyll ordered the destruction of other castles belonging to the King's supporters.
After King Charles I was executed, the Campbells first supported his son, Charles II. Argyll even placed the crown of Scotland on Charles' head in 1651. However, Argyll did not agree with Charles' plan to invade England. In 1652, he gave up and joined Oliver Cromwell's new government, called the Commonwealth. Cromwell's soldiers were stationed at Castle Campbell in 1653.
But in July 1654, rebels who supported the King attacked Castle Campbell. They burned it down over two nights.
._Castle_Campbell.jpg)
Abandonment and Restoration
Argyll was executed after the King returned to power in 1660. His son, the ninth Earl, decided to build a new home in Stirling instead of fixing Castle Campbell. The castle was mostly left empty. It was briefly used by soldiers during the Jacobite rising of 1715, a rebellion to put a different king on the throne. After that, it was truly abandoned.
In 1805, the sixth Duke of Argyll sold the castle. It was bought by Crauford Tait, who owned a nearby estate. In 1859, a businessman named Sir Andrew Orr bought both the estate and Castle Campbell. His son, James Orr, had people dig around the castle in the 1870s. They found pieces of stained glass from the windows of the south rooms.
In 1948, the owners of the estate gave the beautiful Dollar Glen area to the National Trust for Scotland. They arranged for the castle to be looked after by the Ministry of Works. Restoration work has included putting a new roof on the tower. Digs in the 1980s even found burnt wood from the fire in 1654!
Today, Historic Scotland manages Castle Campbell. It is a protected historic site, and you can visit it to explore its amazing history.
Images for kids
-
-
A window alcove at Castle Campbell
-
The remains of the east range, including the loggia
-
The ruins of Castle Campbell in the 1820s, painted by William Linton
-
The castle in the last decade of the 19th century
