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Lochranza Castle today

Scotland · Partial ruin

Lochranza Castle

Lochranza Castle is an L-plan fortified tower house sited on a rocky promontory at Lochranza on the Isle of Arran, Scotland. Most of the standing fabric dates from the 16th century and the building fell into disuse in the 18th century; it is now in the care of Historic Scotland.

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Photograph via Wikimedia Commons

Its prime

1614

Today

Partial ruin

As it stood in 1614

What Lochranza Castle looked like in its prime.

An L-plan, rubble-stone tower house with a taller square tower to the right and a gabled wing to the left, linked by a low curtain wall. Walls are grey mixed rubble with red sandstone quoins and window dressings; narrow vertical slit windows and a small projecting corbelled watch-chamber are visible. The main ground-floor entrance is a modest arched doorway set into the central wall. The castle sits on a grassy promontory with a steep, vegetated hillside rising behind it.

Its story

The story of Lochranza Castle.

From the MacSweens to the Crown, 1262–1371

The castle on the promontory at Lochranza, on the northern part of Arran, dates from the 13th century, when it was held by the MacSweens. In 1262 King Alexander III granted the castle and its lands to Walter Stewart, Earl of Menteith. Robert the Bruce is believed to have landed at Lochranza in 1306, on his return from Ireland to claim the Scottish throne. By 1371 the castle was the property of Robert II, and is thought to have served the crown at that time as a hunting lodge.

Against the Lord of the Isles, 1490s–1600

During the 1490s James IV used Lochranza in his campaign against the Lord of the Isles and Clan MacDonald. Most of the structure standing today — an L-plan fortified tower house — was built in the 16th century. In 1600 Robert Montgomerie of Skelmorlie recovered the castle for the Marquess of Hamilton from Alastair Mc Alastair and his followers.

A Royal Occupant, Cromwell and the Hamiltons, from 1614

In 1614 the castle was occupied by the king, and in the 1650s it was used by Oliver Cromwell. By 1705 Lochranza was the property of the Hamilton family, bought by the Duchess of Hamilton. The Hamiltons already held other estates on Arran, and so in time sold Lochranza to the Blackwood-Davidson family, who used it as their principal seat.

Disuse and State Care, from the 18th Century

During the 18th century the castle fell into disuse and was abandoned. It is now in state care, and has been a scheduled monument since November 1994.

The Black Island on Page and Screen, 1966–2010

Lochranza is said to have served as a model for The Black Island, the Tintin adventure whose backgrounds were redrawn after the English publisher Methuen asked for greater realism in the third edition of 1966; Hergé's assistant Bob de Moor followed Tintin's exact footsteps for the new designs and came to Arran. Charles Dierick of Studios Hergé holds the identification mistaken: Lochranza has a square tower and the wrong silhouette, while de Moor reproduced certain details of Brodick Castle on the same island. The castle did appear on screen in Dom Joly and the Black Island, broadcast on Channel 4 on 19 March 2010, where it stood in for Kisimul Castle on the Isle of Barra.

Step inside

7 places to explore in 1614.

The record describes 7 distinct spots at Lochranza Castle, including 1 interior: standing in the entrance, looking into the entrance passage. Create your own photoreal reconstruction and explore every one, more scenes means more rooms, more angles, and more of the place to stand in.

Approach across the grassy forecourt to the main entranceView from the loch/sea toward the promontory siteClose-up of the arched entrance and immediate wallGabled wing with tall chimney stack (left end)Exterior face of the square tower (right)Curtain wall with corbelled watch-chamberStanding in the entrance, looking into the entrance passage

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Whose castle

Clans who held Lochranza Castle.

The families that held Lochranza Castle for a decade or more across its history, follow a name to its clan.

  • MacSween

    Owned by the MacSweens in the 13th century.

  • Stewart

    Granted with its lands to Walter Stewart, Earl of Menteith, by Alexander III in 1262.

  • Hamilton

    Property of the Hamiltons by 1705, purchased by the Duchess of Hamilton.

  • Blackwood-Davidson

    Bought from the Hamiltons by the Blackwood-Davidsons, who made it their principal seat.

Questions about Lochranza Castle

What is the history of Lochranza Castle?

Lochranza Castle dates from the 13th century and was owned by the MacSweens before being granted to Walter Stewart, Earl of Menteith, in 1262. James IV used it during campaigns against the Lord of the Isles and Clan MacDonald in the 1490s. Most of its standing tower-house fabric dates from the 16th century; it fell into disuse during the 18th century.

What is inside Lochranza Castle?

Inside Lochranza Castle, the documented interior is the entrance and entrance passage. A view from the entrance looks into this passage, but no rooms, chambers, staircases or furnishings are identified. Further interior detail is not established by the available description.

Where is Lochranza Castle?

Lochranza Castle is on a rocky promontory at Lochranza, on the northern part of the Isle of Arran. It is in North Ayrshire, in Scotland. The setting includes a grassy forecourt and a steep, vegetated hillside rising behind the castle.

When was Lochranza Castle built?

Lochranza Castle was first raised in the 13th century, while most of the standing L-plan tower-house fabric dates from the 16th century. The site’s prime year is 1614, and the first-raised year is not recorded.

Which family or clan held Lochranza Castle?

The MacSweens owned Lochranza Castle in the 13th century. Alexander III granted it and its lands to Walter Stewart, Earl of Menteith, in 1262. By 1705 it belonged to the Hamilton family, and the Blackwood-Davidsons later bought it and made it their principal seat.

What did Lochranza Castle look like in its prime?

Lochranza Castle is an L-plan, rubble-stone tower house with a taller square tower on the right and a gabled wing on the left. A low curtain wall links them. Grey rubble, red sandstone quoins, slit windows, a corbelled watch-chamber and an arched entrance define its exterior.

Is Lochranza Castle still standing or is it a ruin?

Lochranza Castle is still standing as a partial ruin. Most of the standing fabric dates from the 16th century, but the castle fell into disuse during the 18th century. The surviving building remains an L-plan fortified tower house on its rocky promontory.

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