Field Visit
Date June 1988
Event ID 1082666
Category Recording
Type Field Visit
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/1082666
This castle is situated on a rock (Gaelic, Carraig) on the W shore of Loch Goil, 2.5km from the mouth of the loch and enjoying a view SE across Long Long to the Dunbartonshire coast. The steep hinterland provided limited arable land, but this was compensated for by gently shelving shingle beaches to NW and sw, and a good deep-water mooring immediately to the E.
A large tower of probable late 14th-century date occupies the W half of the rock, which rises about 6m above high-water level and measures about 33m from N to S by 28m, and a later barmkin wall descends on the E to within 3m of water level. There is a Ministry of Defence concrete pier, replacing a timber steamship pier of 1877 (en.1), at the SE angle of the rock, but rock-cut slots suggest earlier jetties further N, near the entrance to the barmkin, and there are sockets for a possible landing-stage below and N of the postern-doorway. To the W is a level area, probably made up artificially, and it was stated in 1792 that the rock was 'formerly surrounded by the sea, by means of a deep ditch. The entry to the castle from the land, was by a draw-bridge, which was defended by a strong wall, and two small towers’ (en.2). There are no identifiable remains of these outworks, with the doubtful exception of some large boulders about 2m W of the rock, which are more probably to be associated with a boat-noost or hut.
The tower was probably built for the Campbells of Lochawe, later Earls of Argyll, and the castle was occupied on their behalf by hereditary captains from about 1500 to1685, when it was burnt by Government forces during the 9thEarl of Argyll's rebellion (infra). During repairs of about 1900 there was extensive repointing and re-instatement in concrete of robbed sandstone dressings. The building's condition shortly before that time was recorded by MacGibbon and Ross and in drawings published by the National Art Survey (en.3). The courtyard was excavated in 1985 for Historic Buildings and Monuments: Scottish Development Department, in advance of a current programme of restoration of the castle for use as a private residence (en.4*).
The large elongated rectangular tower has no parallels in Argyll, although many of its features can be compared with those of Lowland buildings, themselves often of uncertain date. However, the bevelled NW angle and the triangular-headed openings can be parallelled respectively at Dundonald Castle and at David's Tower in Edinburgh Castle, and there are numerous resemblances to Morton Castle, all major works of the second half of the 14th century (en.5*), at which period the Campbells had achieved a dominant position in Lochgoilhead parish, and Carrick may be attributed to that period.
RCAHMS 1992, visited June 1988
[A full architectural description and historical note are provided in RCAHMS 1992, 226-237]
