Castles and Great Houses of Cowal Tread carefully on these stones Built originally in areas of strategic importance and with commanding views to gain early warning of attack, many of Cowal’s original castles are now little more than ruins. Over the centuries these fortresses fell victim to bitter clan feuds, often between the Campbells and the Lamonts, or to violent action or reprisals between the various factions that shaped Scotland’s history. Tales of bloodshed and slaughter, courage and love weave through troubled and uncertain times, leaving a legacy of a colourful past that tints the present. Tread carefully on the stones of these ruins, for you walk in the steps of history. Dunoon Castle, Toward Castle, Castle Lachlan, and Carrick Castle along with Knockdow, Ormidale, Strachur House, Dunans, Old Kilmun House and Castle Toward can all be seen on Cowalfest walks, with their chilling stories and wondrous legends adding a shivering thrill of excitement to the enjoyment of your walk. In the early years of the nineteenth century improvements in shipping and the advent of steam saw the Highland clachan of Dunoon undergoing a transformation. The Firth of Clyde had long been seen as a barrier which, according to Inveraray born author Neil Munro, cut the peaceful, civilising influence of the Lowland’s and its culture off from the mystery and danger of the Highlands. Cowal had the reputation of being a wild area, steeped in the past. And while the citizens of Greenock went quietly about their legal and commercial business, Cowal was still reverberating to the bloody exploits of Campbells, Lamonts and Atholemen as well as Rob Roy. It was Cowal’s wonderful unspoilt landscape that first drew the West of Scotland Merchants, with fortunes in their pockets, escaping the squalor and dirt of industrialisation in search of relaxation, fresh air and the opportunity to sail amidst stunning scenery in the sheltered waters of the Clyde estuary. To design their houses the Merchants used the architects who had made names for themselves designing impressive new buildings for a rapidly expanding Glasgow. James Ewing, Lord Provost of Glasgow, is credited to be the fi rst to build, followed by Kirkman Finlay at Toward. James Hunter at Hafton was effecting improvements on his estate and building a pier to encourage people and goods to the area, while on the opposite shore of the Holy Loch in Kilmun, David Napier, cousin and brother-in-law of Robert Napier, had bought land from General Campbell of Monzie. He was building houses for himself and his managers, constructing a pier, and opening up a route from Kilmun to Inveraray, using steam powered boats and steam driven carriages. Ballimore, Glenfinart House, Ardlamont, Benmore House, Glendaruel House, Glenbranter House (associated with music hall artist Harry Lauder), Glen Tower (now the Hunter’s Quay Hotel), the Royal Marine Hotel (formerly the headquarters of the Royal Clyde Yacht Club), Dunselma Castle which belonged to one of the threadmaking Coats family, Knockdow and Ardkinglas designed by Robert Lorimer, these are some of the great houses of Cowal. Some are ruins or have been razed to the ground, some are open to the public, one is a museum, one or two are hotels which you may be enjoying as guests, others remain private homes, but most can easily be seen as you walk or travel around Cowal. All have wonderful histories and stories which will enrich your stay in this spectacular area. Today, Cowal is almost an island of tranquility in a hectic world of stress and pressure, yet easily accessible from Glasgow. And as you stride out across the hillsides, enjoying spectacular views of ridges and lochs, or stroll along some of our gentler walks stopping now and again to admire lichens and mosses, oyster shells and rhododendrons, or glimpses of a red squirrel or a dolphin, the everyday world seems a long way off . Perhaps as you make your way back after a day of delightful impressions, you may even hear the faintest noise from the stones beneath your feet of echoes from the distant past, a gentle reminder to tread carefully as you’re walking in the steps of history.
Posted on: Thu, 15 Aug 2013 10:58:28 +0000
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