Last stop.

Back in Oban we decided that although we were having the time of our lives and were enjoying ourselves immensely, maybe we should go home a few days early. So we rescheduled our flight and decided to head out on Friday instead of Sunday.

While in Inverary, we asked a tour guide how to get to Castle Campbell. She assumed we meant Inverary Castle, seat of the Campbells and said that was the only one she had heard of. We were disappointed but drove on to Stirling Castle, site of William Wallace's defeat of the English at Stirling Bridge on September 11, 1297. While perusing the books at the souvenir shop I saw a book for Castle Campbell! I grabbed it and took it to the clerk and pointed at the book, "Where is this?!?" She said it's about 15 minutes down the road. Cursing that other tour guide we hurried down the narrow road. We got there about 2 hours before closing. We almost didn't find it because one of the direction signs to the parking lot was stolen and we drove by the turn five times. Finally we got help and drove up a steep incline to the parking lot. We then had to walk about 15 minutes to get to the castle. It was grey and raining and a chill in the air. In other words, perfect weather for exploring "Castle Glume" as it's known. The castle in situated on a narrow promontory with creeks on both sides - the Burn of Care and the Burn of Sorrow. It's location is so picturesque, but also employs brilliant tactics. With a cliff in front, sheer cliffs on both sides and an easily defended back, it was a perfect site for a castle.

We talked to the one tour guide for a half hour and bought many souvenirs. When we got there, there was only one other family and they soon left. We had the castle to ourselves. The main hall was in ruins but the tower with the bedchambers remained and had been fixed up on the inside. We got to sit on an authentic 800 year old stone latrine! And the main bed chamber had faces carved into the ceiling that they think were used to suspend lamps from. They were both grotesque Green Man carvings. We stayed until closing. We also got to meet the caretaker of the castle - there is a closed off room where he basically stays there and watches over it after hours - kind of like a lighthouse. We could not imagine being all alone off in the middle of the woods in a centuries old ruined castle. He's a braver man than I am.

Castle Campbell was a great way to finish our honeymoon, it was the highlight of the trip.

 

Movies

Stirling Castle 425 KB	Stirling Castle 425 KB
Castle Campbell 493 KB	Castle Campbell 324 KB

All of the movies stream and require Microsoft Media Player