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Location
Dumbarton, Dunbartonshire, Scotland
Description
Dumbarton Castle sits on a plug of volcanic basalt known as Dumbarton Rock and overlooks the town of Dumbarton. Most of the medieval castle has disappeared, and most structures remaining today are the fortifications of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The castle has a shop and museum on the site. There are 547 steps throughout the castle making the property unsuitable for visitors using wheelchairs or with limited mobility.
History
Dumbarton Rock has been used as a defensive position since the Iron Age. In medieval Scotland, Dumbarton Castle was an important royal castle. King David II (Robert the Bruce's son) and his wife, Queen Joan took refuge there after the Scottish defeat at Halidon Hill near Berwick-upon-Tweed in 1333. Mary, Queen of Scots sheltered at the castle for several months in 1548, after the Battle of Pinkie, east of Edinburgh before moving to France. The castle was taken by Oliver Cromwell's troops in 1652. The castle declined in importance after the death of Oliver Cromwell in 1658. New defences were built in the 18th century in response to threats posed by Jacobites. The military left Dumbarton Castle in 1865, although the army used it again during World War I and World War II.
Other Castles in the Area
Barr Castle, Renfrewshire
Buchanan Castle, Stirling
Carrick Castle, Argyll and Bute
Castle Levan, Inverclyde
Craigend Castle, East Dunbartonshire
Culcreuch Castle, Stirling
Duchal Castle, Inverclyde
Johnstone Castle, Renfrewshire
Kelburn Castle, Ayrshire
Law Castle, Ayrshire
Mugdock Castle, Glasgow
Newark Castle, Renfrewshire
Portencross Castle, Ayrshire
Skelmorlie Castle, Ayrshire
Stanely Castle, Renfrewshire
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Dumbarton Castle. A long shot from across the River Clyde near the start of the M8. South of the centre of Dumbarton rises the 240ft high twin peaked volcanic plug of Dumbarton Rock.
Photograph by Dave Hitchborne. Some rights reserved. (view image details)
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Dumbarton Castle viewed from across the Clyde at Westferry.
Photograph by Thomas Nugent. Some rights reserved. (view image details)
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