Introduction

This evening, I am reporting on Castle Sween, an ancient fortification situated on the edge of Loch Sween.

Information on the castle

This castle dates from the 12th century and features a high quadrangular stone wall, over 2m thick. Castle Sween was probably built by Suibhne (later anglicised to Sween), Lord of Knapdale in the late twelfth century. At this time Argyll was not part of Scotland but was under Norse control. Location was influenced by the sea lochs of the western coast providing ideal harbours for warships.and transports.

The castle is positioned forty two miles S.W. of Inveraray, opposite the island of Jura.

Over time this castle has been held by both MacDonalds and Campbells who were traditional rivals.However, it was destroyed by the forces of Alisdair MacColla in 1644 during the War of the Three Kingdoms.Mac Colla was a descendant of the MacDonalds. No rebuild was undertaken after MacColla’s actions.

As the video clip below illustrates, the location offers excellent views over the local waterways out to Jura.

This is one of a group of Scottish castles built independent of the Norman influence and which share the following characteristics:

• Built on a rocky promontory to an uncomplicated design.
• Enjoys close access to water for communication purposes.
• Local lord power was manifested in a fleet of galleys-hence essential water access.

Video clip of the castle

Visiting

Independent motor transport is the means to access the castle. From Inveraray the journey entails forty two miles whilst from Oban distance is forty six miles.

More information

The publication, Visitors’ Guide to Scotland contains extensive information on Scottish castles, history and touring. ISBN is 978-1-9161332-0-4. The book is also available via Kindle.