Barcaldine Castle
(Black Castle)

The L-shaped tower house of Barcaldine Castle, sometimes known as the Black Castle because of its dark stones, is located 1¼ miles (2 km) north of the village of Benderloch in Argyll and Bute. It was built in 1609 for Sir Duncan Campbell of Glenorchy (Duncan of the Seven Castles) and remained a Campbell stronghold until it was abandoned in 1735 when the family moved to Barcaldine House. In the late 19th Century the family returned and restored the castle. Campbell descendants still occupy the tower. In 1691 MacIan of Glencoe was detained here by bad weather on his way to Inveraray to sign the oath of allegiance to William III.

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©2013 The Editors of The Gazetteer for Scotland
Supported by: The Robertson Trust,  The Royal Scottish Geographical Society,
  School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh.