Kilchurn Castle On Visit To Loch Awe Argyll And Bute Scotland

Tour Scotland travel video, with Scottish music, on ancestry visit to the ruined 15th and 17th century Kilchurn Castle in Loch Awe in Argyll and Bute. This was the ancestral home of the Campbells of Glen Orchy, who later became the Earls of Breadalbane also known as the Breadalbane family branch, of the Clan Campbell. This Scottish castle was built about 1450 by Sir Colin Campbell, first Lord of Glenorchy, as a five storey tower house with a courtyard defended by an outer wall. By about 1500 an additional range and a hall had been added to the south side of the castle. Further buildings went up during the 16th and 17th centuries. Kilchurn was on a small island in Loch Awe scarcely larger than the castle itself, although it is now connected to the mainland as the water level was altered in 1817. The castle would have been accessed via an underwater or low lying causeway. Towards the end of the 16th century the Clan MacGregor of Glenstrae were occupying the castle. Once owning the lands of Glenorchy during the 14th century, until they passed through marriage to the Campbells, the MacGregors were appointed keepers to Kilchurn Castle as the Campbells spent much of their time at Fincharn. This arrangement lasted until the very early part of the 17th century, when a violent feud between the two families brought it to an end and the Campbells retook possession. In 1681, Sir John Campbell of Glenorchy was made 1st Earl of Breadalbane. To take advantage of the turbulence of the times, he converted Kilchurn into a modern barracks, capable of housing 200 troops. His main addition was the three storey L-shaped block along the north side. Kilchurn was then used as a Government garrison during the 1715 and 1745 Jacobite risings. The Clan Campbell was known as the Siol Diarmaid an Tuirc or, alternatively, the Clan Duibhne, and in a Crown charter Duncan MacDuibhne was ancestor of the Lords of Lochow in 1368. The name Campbell has appeared as Campbell, Cambell, Cambel, Camble, Cammell and many more. Robert Campbell, a Scottish convict was convicted in Ayr, Scotland for 14 years, then transported aboard the ship Baring in April 1815, arriving in New South Wales, Australia; Robert Campbell landed in Bay of Islands, New Zealand in 1836; Duncan Campbell landed in Auckland, New Zealand in 1840; Angus Campbell landed in Nova Scotia, Canada, in 1749; Thomas Campbell landed in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, in 1749; Colin Campbell landed in New Jersey, America, in 1685; Dugald Campbell landed in New York, America, in 1739 All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.

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