At the western end of Loch Tay, roughly a half-mile northeast of the village of Killin, Scotland, lies the precarious, overgrown, atmospheric, and seriously cool ruins of Finlarig Castle.
It is unlikely that you will find this one in your guide books, as Finlarig sits on private property. However, it’s worth a stop if you happen to be in that neck of the woods. If you are a serious castle seeker, then I think Finlarig is worth going out of your way to see.
Parking is available across from the cemetery, about a minute’s walk to the castle. When Mr. C and I were there a few years ago, we were approached by a local who requested we move our car to the lot rather than park directly at the site. I don’t think we were hurting anything, but alas, it is private property, so it’s best to respect the property owner’s wishes.
As a word of caution, you should know that though access is permitted, Finlarig is an unmaintained, dilapidated ruin and should be considered dangerous. You may want to consider appreciating it from the outside rather than attempting to go in. You wouldn’t want rocks to fall onto your pretty little heads!
Construction on Finlarig Castle began in the early 17th century by ‘Black’ Duncan Campbell, seventh laird of Glenorchy. Known by the name Black Duncan of the Cowl as well, he seemed to be a man of contrasts. Shrewd, meticulous, and fiercely proud, Campbell was also “an enlightened landlord, an early conservationist, and tree-planter.” (Friends of Loch Lomond and the Trossachs). He was an ambitious man, responsible for the building of several other castles, which earned him another moniker – ‘Black Duncan of the Castles.’
Campbell’s Z-plan tower house was built upon a mound that, at one time, was surrounded by a moat. A good bit of Finlarig castle survives today, including the southwest tower, complete with shot holes – as opposed to the other kind. Although you can bet, it had those too! 😀
Perhaps even more atmospheric (code for creepy) than Finlarig is the nearby Breadalbane Mausoleum. Though it dates to around 1830, it is in just as bad of shape as the castle. I was fascinated by the way it seems to be falling in on itself and the way that, over time, the earth is reclaiming the interior.
The mausoleum had reportedly fallen into disuse by the early 1900s. As such, Sir Gavin Campbell, 17th Laird of Glenorchy (d. 1922), and his wife Alma Graham (d. 1932) are buried nearby.
Well, friends, I hope you have enjoyed this little history of Finlarig Castle. If you have been reading my blog for a while, I’m curious to know what your favorite castle has been thus far. Have you had an opportunity to see any of the ones I have written about? We still have many, many to go, so I hope you’ll stick with me!
I enjoy you guys so much. Thank you for the great community!
Cheers,
🤔 💕 😘
PS. I’m glad Rock didn’t fall on your pretty little head!
😀
Very cool!!!
It really was! 🙂
Evocative! Sometimes I think the ruins are, in their own way, as neat as the intact buildings. The imagination can run wild with picturing what it looked like, the people who lived there, what they did.
I see you didn’t just “appreciate it from the outside.” 😉 And we’re glad you did—and that you came out safe to show us the pictures!
Yes, I totally agree! I like to try and picture myself in the scene when it would have been bustling with activity and full of life. Oh, and I didn’t actually go inside the castle ruin. Just poked my head in to snap some photos. 🙂
Great post, Wendy. As a ‘serious castle seeker’ I’d love to seek out this one. Atmospheric is the word – you can tell that from your great pictures. Black Duncan seems a good character. I’m thinking of doing a Scottish medieval and early modern module next year for my degree, so maybe I’ll come across him again. In the meantime, thanks for introducing us to this beautiful castle ruin. 🙂
Thank you, Alli. 🙂 I’m curious, what sort of degree are you seeking?
What a fabulous ruin Wendy! I love the spiral staircase. I’ll need to remember this one if I ever travel further north again. Lovely photos and story 🙂
Why thank you, Dawn-Marie. I appreciate your comment! 🙂
Quite lovely. Grand, isn’t it, to discover such hidden wonders. I’ve never seen Finlarig myself, but I think I’d rather had. Thank you for sharing such lovely photos and well composed thoughts.
Yes, I agree. I absolutely love seeing the off-the-beaten-path places. It feels like a secret somehow. I appreciate your comment! 🙂
I LOVE these old ruins. Thanks for the warning but I would be going inside. The stories those walls could tell. Thanks for the great pictures.
Haha, I would have gone inside too, but Mr. C insisted otherwise. Always looking out for me. 🙂
Many of my ancestors were beheaded in that pit, yet we are still here- MacGregor Despite Them!