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Dumbarton Castle is in the centre of
Dumbarton, 22 miles northwest of Glasgow.
Dumbarton Castle was built from the 1200s
for the Kings of Scotland to control the
area.
The Castle can be visited throughout the
year with a small entrance fee. Postcode: G82
1JJ
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Attractions
Camping & Touring Parks in
area
The image top is of Dumbarton Castle from
the road leading from Dumbarton Centre to the
Castle. You need to be fairly fit to visit the
top sections of the Castle as the steps up are
real steep.
Dumbarton Castle History
410 - the Romans left Briton, leading to the
country being divided into Kingdoms, with
Scotland having about 6 Kingdoms.
400s - there was a Fort here on the 240ft /
73m high Dumbarton Rock where the Kingdom of
Strathclyde evolved.
1058? - King Malcolm III / Canmore of
Scotland was crowned, with him becoming the
ruler of most of Scotland. His descendants up
to 1286 built most of the large Scottish Royal
Castles such as Edinburgh, Stirling and
Urquhart, also most of the large Abbeys.
1220s - a Royal Castle was built on
Dumbarton Rock for King Alexander II to control
the area from Viking Raids. The Vikings were
forced out of the Western and Northern Isles
from the 1260s.
1296 - during the Wars of Scottish
Independence, Dumbarton Castle was captured by
Edward I, King of England.
1297 - the Scots under William Wallace
re-captured the Castle, using it as a Prison
for captured high profile English Knights.
Over the following centuries, about 40
different High Profile Scots were put in
control of the Castle to keep the area under
control for the Kings.
1488 - James IV became King after his
followers killed his father James III at the
Battle of
Sauchieburn, leading to a few attempts by
Scottish Nobles to have James IV
overthrown.
1490s - Dumbarton Castle was being
controlled by John Stewart, Earl of Lennox, who
refused to support King James IV, leading to
the Kings Army laying siege to Dumbarton
Castle, using Naval Gunships to finally capture
it.
1708 - 1746 - the Jacobite
Risings led to Dumbarton Castle being
strengthened.
1746 - the defeat of the Jacobite's at the
Battle of Culloden was the last major
Battle on the British mainland, so Royal
Castles became less important.
1800 - 1815 - the Napoleonic Wars throughout
Europe led to a number of French Prisoners
being held at Dumbarton Castle.
1843 - the last Governor, Lord Lynedoch,
died aged 95, leading to the Castle becoming a
Tourist Attraction.
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