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Visiting Castle Campbell, Historic ScotlandClackmannanshire Tower Trail Attraction in Dollar Glen
Visitors to Dollar near Stirling, Scotland can enjoy Historic Scotland's Castle Campbell and Gardens. Visiting Castle Campbell can include hill walking in Dollar Glen.
Incredible stories revolve around Scottish castles. Castle Campbell, one of the symbols of power and affluence of the Campbell family of Argyll in the fifteenth to seventeenth century in Scotland, has many stories to tell adults and children. About Castle CampbellCastle Campbell is set in Dollar Glen and makes a dramatic appearance, ideal for landscape photography of a Scottish castle, through the coniferous forest and moors of the western and eastern approaches. Visitors arriving by car will walk up a steep road before turning onto a path and downwards into Dollar Glen to climb for a short while upwards through many rhododendron, well-established ash and oak trees to arrive at the main entrance. Hill walkers taking the western route in Dollar Glen above the gorge will see the ruined great hall first. Castle Campbell Tower and East Range Mary, Queen of Scots and John Knox visited Castle Campbell and Gardens when the Scottish castle included the main tower structure. The extension of an east range and new stair turret was built c 1600. Today, the restored and intact Tower is available for visitors to climb and see the rooms, many latrines and spectacular views from the windows. The stonewalled rooms lack furniture. One chamber is decorated with two stone heads on the ceiling and one stone face is shown in the photograph below. At the top of the Castle Campbell tower, there is access to the Scottish outdoors. For visitors comfortable with great heights, there are views to Glen Devon, River Forth and the Ochil Hills. After all that climbing, the Castle Campbell offers a tearoom on the ground floor, near the site of the original kitchens for refreshment. Alternatively, a picnic could be set up on the tables and garden seats in the terraced Castle Campbell gardens, shown in the photograph below. Children are likely to be intrigued by the basement of the east range set up with kitchen racks for storage and what Scottish castle stories can be told about the ‘Prisoner’s Pit’ viewed on the ground floor. Architectural highlights of Castle Campbell also include in the east range, the loggia, an open arcade, more commonly associated with Mediterranean countries like Spain and Italy than Scotland. ‘John Knox’s Pulpit’, linked to his preaching in 1556, stands in the Castle Campbell Gardens. Campbell Castle Admission Castle Campbell and Gardens, Dollar, Scotland FK14 7PP, has October, Winter and Summer opening hours:
Admission charges are Adult £4.70, Child £2.35, Concessions £3.70. Car parking for around 12 vehicles is available at Castle Campbell. Further parking for cars is available on the approach up to the Castle and in Dollar including spaces for non residents near the Burn. Further information is available from the guardian of Castle Campbell, Historic Scotland, (Tel: +44 1259 742408) or from Clackmannnanshire Council Museum and Heritage Service (Tel: +44 1259 216913) including details of the Clackmannanshire Tower Trail. Visitors to Dollar Glen, Castle Campbell and Gardens are also near to Stirling Castle, positioned high on a volcanic rock in central Scotland.
The copyright of the article Visiting Castle Campbell, Historic Scotland in Castles/Forts/Cathedrals Tours is owned by Susan Morris. Permission to republish Visiting Castle Campbell, Historic Scotland in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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