Killin, Breadalbane and Clan Campbell. Perthshire, Scotland Stirling Castle Trossachs Guest houses

Clan Campbell's Scotland

Killin was one of the main strongholds of Clan Campbell, one of the most ancient clans of Scotland. It's origins are in Clan Alpin, named after Kenneth MacAlpin who was the first ancient king of the early united Scotland.  The earliest traceable ancestor of the Breadalbane family, and first of the house of Glenorchy, was Sir Colin Campbell, the third son of Duncan, first Lord Campbell of Lochow. The Campbells were a powerful Clan with a burning desire to expand their lands, indeed the ambition of the 16c Black Duncan Campbell of the cowl  was to be able to travel on his own lands from the east to the west coast of Scotland. It was an ambition he achieved to the cost of many of his neighbours.

The Campbells acquired their lands mainly through guile and legal process, largely with the support of some of Scotlands kings. It was the Campbells who hounded the MacGregors, the McEwans, McNabs and many other unfortunate clans to the verge of extinction.

The Campbells were also great castle builders, owning at one stage castles spread over the full width of Scotland, included were: Dunstafnage and Barcaldine near Oban, Kilchurn on Loch Awe, Lock Dochart Castle, Finlarig at Killin, Ardeonaig castle on Loch Tay and Balloch castle (later known as Taymouth) at Kenmore. Sir Colin Campbell, born about 11577 was probably the most notorious of the Campbells and it was he who hounded the unfortunate MacGregors of Glenstrae and their successors.

The fortunes of the clan slowly changed and the last straw was the curse invoked by the 'Old Woman of Lawers' who predicted the extinction of the Campbells. The final problems for the Campbells started in the 1920s with taxation and the lack of direct descendants. They sold off their lands to meet debts until 1948 when the last land was sold. Sir Colin Campbell the great expansionist had built Finlarig Castle at Killin, and behind it the family mausoleum. The mausoleum was a ruin when the last of the Campbells of Glenorchy died early in the 20th century.

Beyond the ruins of the mausoleum and facing the ruins and the evils of Finlarig castle are two graves with Celtic crosses inscribed for Sir Gavin Campbell, Marquess of Breadalbane, and his wife of 50 years, Lady Alma St. Fillan. The Last of the Breadalbanes!

Breadalbane

The name Breadalbane refers mainly to the lands owned by the Campbells from Oban to Aberfeldy. The Name Breadalbane derives from the old celtic words signifying "high Albane" or "the high part of Scotland in the kingdom of Albany". The area is steeped in history, much of it recorded in ancient records, much recorded in ancient pictish carvings and before that, evidence of early occupation lies in 'cup and ring' markings which are found carved in the rocks all over Breadalbane.

Breadalbane is a beautiful part of Scotland, boasting some of the highest mountains and most beautiful and stunning scenery in Scotland. Along it's length we have loch Awe, Loch Dochart and Loch Tay as well a many minor lochans. Mountains like Ben More, Stob-binnian, Ben Lawers and the Tarmachan range line both sides of the river valley. Sparkling little jewels of villages like, Killin, Kenmore and Fortingall are spread along the length of Breadalbane.

Castles of Breadalbane

Barcaldine castle

Barcaldine, the "Black Castle" of Benderloch is one of the few mediaeval castles in Scotland which is still habitable and which appears practically unchanged. Throughout its 400 year existence, Barcaldine has been a military outpost, a dwelling house, a ruin and now, in the 21st century, a place of interest for visitors to the area to enjoy.

Barcaldine owes its position to a design for defence. The builder was Sir Duncan Campbell, seventh Knight of Glenorchy. In Argyll, where turbulence and lawlessness had followed the break-up of the Lordship of the Isles, the hierarchy abolished by James IV in 1493. It was during this period of lawlessness that Sir Duncan Campbell came to power. He was a very vigorous and forceful character with ambition.

Sir Duncan’s lands stretched from Barcaldine in the west to Taymouth Castle on Loch Tay in the east. Not surprisingly, such a wide distribution of property was extremely difficult to control and protect. To this end, The Campbells built a string of seven castles. Kilchurn Castle on Loch Awe was repaired, as was Taymouth Castle, formally known as Balloch at the east end of Loch Tay. Edinample Castle at the west end of Loch Earn, Achallader at the head of Glenorchy, Finlarig at the west end of Loch Tay and the island Castle on Loch Dochart made up the rest.

Barcaldine Castle is built on the "L" plan with the smaller wing on the south side projecting to the west beyond the end part of the main wall of the castle. This projection enabled the main wall to be protected and covered with small arms. The walls are approximately 9 feet thick, thus allowing the stair passage inside them, and rise to approximately 32 feet.

Kilchurn Castle 

Kilchurn was built in  1440 by Sir Duncan Campbell of Glenorchy and was extended by his wife during his absence on the crusades. It was used as a military garrison during the '45 rising before finally falling into disrepair.

In the late 20th c. an elderly woman known as 'Old Kate'lived with her dogs in an old cottage in the castle grounds for many years before being found drowned in the loch. The cottage is now gone!
A visitor to this website * added the following:
"I believe that Old Katie was drowned some where in the late 50s or early 60s.   . . . . .My first visit to the castle was at age 3 years. Katie used to collect coal from the railway line. And I remember her hunched back carrying a sack of coal looking to me at that age like a frightening old witch as she came across towards the castle, at that time the dogs where inside howling and barking after we knocked on the big door. But we were always welcome and had a cup of tea with her.
She regularly rowed across the loch to the village at Loch Awe and it was suspected that she had been rowing back to her cottage after a few drams and fell into the loch." (*New information added courtesy of website visitor John Moore)

Facts:

• Very picturesque on a promontory on Loch Awe.
• 15th C. largely ruined but plenty remains intact and worth exploring.
• Keep and garret with corner towers
• Lands originally owned by MacGregors who were ousted by the Campbells who built this and many other castles.
• Castle now preserved and open to the public with steps to the battlements and garrets and information boards liberally provided at strategic viewpoints.

Edinample Castle

To see Edinample castle, take the unclassified South Lochearn road at the old church just south of Lochearnhead. About 800 yards down this road you will see the rear of Edinample. Edinample castle is privately owned and is not open to the public.
For a more picturesque view, return to the main road, turn right to Locheamhead, right again and drive 800 yds down the north side of Lochearn. You can now see Edinample across the loch.

Facts:

• 16th century
• Built by the Campbells (Black Duncan of the cowl) who schemed to have the McGregors proscribed (outlawed) in order to obtain their lands and property.
• Derelict by early 1970s but since restored privately
• The mason who erected the castle was pushed off the parapets by Black Duncan in order to avoid payment for his services!

Loch Dochart Castle

The castle is inaccessible on an island). If you want to see it, turn left at Lix Toll garage and continue for about 6 miles, just past Benmore farm. Loch Dochart Castle is on a wooded island on loch Dochart on the right.

Facts:

• 16th c tower house, two storeys and a round tower.
• Built by Black Duncan Campbell of the cowl about 1590.
• (He built castles almost as a hobby and owned about 7 or 8)

Finlarig

Drive east through Killin, and 400 yds past the Killin hotel you will see a bridge on the right over the river. Cross the bridge and in 250 yds, on the left, you'll see a wooded knoll. The Castle is on the knoll. The picture shows the castle after the present neglect allowed it to fall into ruin..

Finlarig at Killin was built in the early 1600s  by Black Duncan of GlenOrchy, probably the most feared of the acquisitious Campbell clan. He also built a chapel where the ruins of the mausoleum stand to the east of the castle on the mound. The mausoleum was built by the Campbells ( of Breadalbane) in the early 1800s. If you walk up to the castle, then face towards the mausoleum ruins, you'll see two gravestones side by side to the left. These stones mark the resting place of the Marquis and Marchioness of Breadalbane - the last of the Campbell line and descendants of Black Duncan - who built this castle and the first mausoleum (also in ruins) behind the graves. (Don't miss the beheading pit to the north side of the castle - grizzly!)

Facts:

• Take care these ruins are dangerous
• Built 1620's by Black Duncan of the cowl
• Two towers, passage past cellars to kitchen
• Beheading pit with beheading block lies behind castle (to north)
• Ruined Mausoleum  built by Black Duncan of Clan Campbell circa 1620

Comrie Castle

Driving east from Coshieville, after about 2 miles, take the next on the right over a little bridge and is on your left over the bridge.

This castle is in a private garden.

Facts:

• Not open to the public
• Built 15th century by Menzies family.
• Thought to have been in intermittent use as a
  Menzies home until 1745.
• Menzies family moved to Castle Menzies

Castle Menzies  

• Three miles east of Coshieville, one mile west of Aberfeldy and on the north side of the road, you will see the castle across the field.

Facts:-

• The Menzies family (formerly Mengies) left Comrie Castle
  after it's burning in 1487.
• They built their next castle at Weem which was totally
  destroyed by Neil Stewart of Garth in the 16th Century.
  Castle Menzies was their next home.
• Bonnie Prince Charlie' stayed here for two nights in 1746.
  Four days later "Butcher" Cumberland stayed I here on his way to Culloden.
• Hugely extended by a new wing, in the 19th century.
• It became derelict after its use by the armed forces during world war II, but has been restored by the Clan Menzies Society.

Further Reading

For those wishing to read more of Breadalbane, copies of a book named "in Famed Breadalbane", written by James Gillies, a parish minister in the early 20th can be found in public libraries in; Killin, Callander and Stirling.

Further history from this area and in the Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park may be found at Loch Lomond and Callander Tourist Information Scotland and Holiday accommodation Scotland

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