Duntrune Castle is located on the north side of
Loch Crinan
Loch Crinan is a seawater loch on the West of Scotland
Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern p ...
and across from the village of
Crinan in
Argyll and Bute
Argyll and Bute (; , ) is one of 32 unitary authority, unitary council areas of Scotland, council areas in Scotland and a lieutenancy areas of Scotland, lieutenancy area. The current lord-lieutenant for Argyll and Bute is Jane Margaret MacLeod ...
, west of
Scotland
Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...
. It is thought to be the oldest continuously occupied castle on mainland Scotland. It was the seat of the Campbells of Duntroon until 1792. The castle is a category B
listed building
In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Hi ...
.
History
It was originally built by the
MacDougall clan in the 13th century, along with several other castles in the area, including the MacDougall stronghold of
Dunollie Castle near
Oban
Oban ( ; meaning ''The Little Bay'') is a resort town within the Argyll and Bute council area of Scotland. Despite its small size, it is the largest town between Helensburgh and Fort William, Highland, Fort William. During the tourist seaso ...
. Duntrune Castle was eventually taken by the
Clan Campbell
Clan Campbell ( ) is a Scottish Highlands, Highland Scottish clan, historically one of the largest and most powerful of the Highland clans. The Clan Campbell lands are in Argyll and within their lands lies Ben Cruachan. The chief of the clan be ...
, becoming the seat of the Campbells of Duntroon. In the 17th century the castle was besieged by the rival
MacDonalds, under
Alasdair Mac Colla
Alasdair Mac Colla Chiotaich MacDhòmhnaill ( – 13 November 1647), also known by the English variant of his name Sir Alexander MacDonald, was a military officer best known for his participation in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, notably the I ...
.
The Campbells sold Duntrune in 1792, to the
Malcolms of Poltalloch. The castle is now owned by Robin Neill Malcolm, current clan chief of the
Clan Malcolm.
The curtain wall of the castle dates from the 13th century, although the
tower house
A tower house is a particular type of stone structure, built for defensive purposes as well as habitation. Tower houses began to appear in the Middle Ages, especially in mountainous or limited access areas, to command and defend strategic points ...
which forms the main part of the castle is of the 17th century.
[ The castle was renovated in 1954.][
]
Popular culture
The gateposts of Skyfall lodge, James Bond's childhood home in the film of the same name, were modelled after those at Duntrune.
See also
*Duntroon, Australian Capital Territory
Duntroon is a locality in the city of Canberra in the Australian Capital Territory.
History
Robert Campbell's property Duntroon was situated on the limestone plains of New South Wales in the area that is now covered by the ACT.
Given gov ...
, a location named after the castle
* Robert Campbell (1769–1846), descended from the Campbells of Duntroon
References
{{reflist
External links
Gazetteer for Scotland
Castles in Argyll and Bute
Category B listed buildings in Argyll and Bute
Listed castles in Scotland
Reportedly haunted locations in Scotland
Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes
Clan MacDougall
Clan Campbell
Clan Campbell seats