Clan Rising
Dunglass Castle today

Scotland · Ruin

Dunglass Castle

Dunglass Castle is a 14th-century castle ruin on a rocky cliff overlooking the River Clyde in West Dunbartonshire. Much of the curtain wall survives to heights of around 7–8 metres and the site includes later structures and memorials; the ruin is a Category B listed building and is currently at risk.

Photograph via Wikimedia Commons

First raised

1400

Its prime

1400

Today

Ruin

As it stood in 1400

The shape it held in its prime.

Perched on a rocky riverside cliff above the River Clyde, the castle originally presented a continuous stone curtain wall rising straight from the rock face to about 7–8 metres, punctuated by a stout cylindrical tower at a corner and a small conical dovecot set into the south wall. A riverside landing sits below the walls, and corbels along the south face indicate a former projecting wooden hoarding above the wall; roofs and internal ranges would have filled the enclosure when complete.

Its story

The story of Dunglass Castle.

Dunglass Castle sits on a rocky cliff overlooking the River Clyde in West Dunbartonshire, a 14th-century castle now ruinous. It was attacked by Lord Fleming's soldiers from Dumbarton Castle in November 1568, and again in February 1569, when they were repulsed and Lord Fleming's half-brother was captured.

A large section of boundary wall still stands roughly seven to eight metres high, mixing original and newer construction, with a now-ruined conical dovecot on the south wall, a small protected landing place outside it, a dwelling house at the north-west corner possibly dating back to 1590, and a round tower — probably 17th-century — that appears to have been a pigeon house.

In July 1893 the graphic artist Talwin Morris leased the castle and remodelled the interior; a remnant of the Morris interior is held in the West Dunbartonshire Council collection. On the grounds stands the obelisk memorial to Henry Bell, an early steamship pioneer. Designated a Category B listed building in 1971, the ruin is graded at high risk by the Buildings at Risk Register for Scotland.

Step inside

6 places to explore in 1400.

The record describes 6 distinct spots at Dunglass Castle — including 1 interior: enclosed inner courtyard (bailey). Create your own photoreal reconstruction and walk through every one — more scenes means more photos, more angles and more rooms of the immersive experience.

Riverside landing and approachSouth wall dovecotSouth wall corbels and hoarding lineTop of the boundary curtain wallExterior of the round towerEnclosed inner courtyard (bailey)

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