Faslane Castle, Shandon Castle, and St Michael's Chapel facts for kids

Locations mentioned within the article (click to enlarge).

Faslane Castle and Shandon Castle were two old Scottish castles. They once stood near the Gareloch in Argyll and Bute. People think they were built during the Middle Ages. At that time, this area was part of a region called Lennox. Powerful leaders known as mormaers ruled Lennox. Today, nothing is left of Faslane Castle. Some ruins of Shandon Castle were still visible in the 1800s. Near Faslane Castle, you can find the ruined St Michael's Chapel. It is also believed to be from the Middle Ages.

Faslane Castle: A Look Back

Faslane Castle once stood near Faslane, in Argyll and Bute. It was also part of the old county of Dunbartonshire. The castle site is about 1.7 miles (2.7 km) north of Shandon. It is also about 1 mile (1.6 km) south of Garelochhead. The site overlooks the Gareloch. Today, the Her Majesty's Naval Base Clyde is a big part of the area.

Who Owned Faslane Castle?

In the Middle Ages, the lands of Dunbartonshire were part of the Lennox. The mormaers of Lennox controlled this region. In the early 1200s, Mormaer Ailín II gave a large piece of land to his son, Amhlaíbh. This land was on the east side of the Gare Loch. Later, Walter of Faslane became an important figure. He was Ailín II's great-grandson. When Mormaer Domhnall died, Walter became the main male heir. He married Domhnall's daughter, Margaret. This made Walter the mormaer himself.

Historian William Fraser believed the castle was built in the 1100s. A modern expert, Geoffrey Stell, listed Faslane as one of only four mottes (a type of castle mound) in Dunbartonshire. Fraser said that earls of Lennox or their family often lived at Faslane Castle.

Faslane Castle appears in a famous poem from the 1400s. It is called The Wallace, written by Blind Harry. The poem tells a story about William Wallace. He attacked Dumbarton and destroyed Rosneath Castle. Rosneath is across the Gare Loch from Faslane. Then, Wallace went to Faslane Castle. Mormaer Maol Choluim I welcomed him warmly there.

Later Years and Disappearance

In 1543, Matthew Stewart, Earl of Lennox gave Faslane to Adam Colquhoun. Later, in 1567, Campbell of Ardkinlass bought it. He then sold it to Campbell of Carrick before 1583. By 1693, Sir John Colquhoun of Luss owned it. He then rented it out to Archibald MacAulay of Ardincaple.

According to historian Joseph Irving, in the mid-1700s, the ruined Faslane Castle gave shelter. It was home to the last leader of the MacAulays of Ardincaple. This family was once very powerful.

By 1869, William Fraser said no castle buildings were left. The only sign was a green mound. It overlooked where two deep valleys met. Another writer, William Charles Maughan, said the site was marked by a small mound. It was near a stream flowing into the bay. Maughan also wrote about an oak tree at Faslane. It was called Cnoch-na-Cullah, meaning "knoll of the cock." Legend said that if a cock crowed under this old oak tree, a member of Clan MacAulay would die.

It is believed that Faslane Castle was destroyed. This happened when the West Highland Railway was built over the site. This railway construction took place between 1891 and 1894.

St Michael's Chapel: A Nearby Ruin

Ruinous St Michael's Chapel, about 1869.

Near the castle site is St Michael's Chapel. William Fraser described its ruins in 1869. He said it measured 43 by 23 feet (13.1 by 7.0 m). Most of the stones had been taken away. Only two gable ends (the triangular parts of a wall at the end of a pitched roof) were still standing. He also noted that the foundations of what was thought to be the priest's house were visible. A spring called "The Priest's Well" was also nearby.

Experts like George Chalmers and architects David MacGibbon and Thomas Ross believed the chapel was for St Michael. They thought it might be from the 1200s or 1300s. In 1963, a survey found that the chapel's south wall had been rebuilt. It was 1.3 meters (4.3 ft) high, but without mortar. There were no signs of the original burial ground, priest's house, or well. Today, the site is part of a modern cemetery.

A local church, St Michaels Roman Catholic Church in Dumbarton, says there's a tradition. Many churches in the area are named after St Michael. For example, there are old church ruins in Glen Luss dedicated to him. In Helensburgh, there's an Episcopalian church called 'Saint Michael and the Angels'. Also, in the Middle Ages, there was a chapel for St Michael in the Strathleven area of Dumbarton.

Shandon Castle: Another Lost Fortress

Shandon Castle once stood near the small village of Shandon. This village is between Faslane and Helensburgh. It is also on the shores of the Gare Loch. William Fraser described the site of Shandon Castle. He said it was on a hillside, above Shandon House. Fraser wrote that parts of the castle still existed when he was writing. The site was called "the old Dun" (a type of ancient fort). However, Fraser noted that no old stories or traditions about the castle were known at that time.

See also

• Clan MacAulay, a Scottish clan that lived near the castle sites.
• Mormaer of Lennox, the old lords of the Lennox region.