Castle Campbell sits high in the Ochil Hills with commanding views over the Forth Valley to the south and makes a rewarding stop on a short hike through Dollar Glen. The castle, not far from Stirling, became the Lowland seat of the powerful Campbell earls of Argyll in the mid-15th century, though its origins date to a motte castle from the 12th or 13th century. The castle began to take on its current shape with the building of a tower house, probably by John Stewart, Lord of Lorn, in the early 15th century. Lorn died without sons so his son-in-law, Colin Campbell, Earl of Argyll, used his marriage to Lorn’s eldest daughter to claim the castle in 1466.

The castle was originally called Castle Gloume (Gloom), which in the Scots of the period meant frown or scowl . It is perched on a promontory between the Burn of Care and the Burn of Sorrow. It’s easy to see, then, why Colin Campbell, Earl of Argyll, wanted to change the name when he took possession. It took a while but 20 years after he acquired the castle, the earl was successful in petitioning for a change of name to Castle Campbell. He had backed the winning side in a rebellion against King James III and his subsequent position of influence in the new government can only have aided his case.

For almost 200 years, Castle Campbell was the Lowland base for the earls of Argyll, allowing them to be close to the Scottish royal court and government. The castle welcomed prominent guests including Mary, Queen of Scots, and John Knox, the Protestant preacher credited with igniting the Scottish Reformation in 1560 with a fiery sermon in Perth. The 9th earl of Argyll abandoned the castle in 1663 in favour of a town house in Stirling (Argyll’s Lodging) and the Campbells eventually sold the castle in the early 19th century. It is now looked after by Historic Environment Scotland.

The walk around Dollar Glen takes a couple of hours and winds through woody gorges, across streams and past waterfalls. It’s steep in places, but well worth the effort with the castle as a half-way stopping off point.

For a detailed description of the route, see the Walk Highlands guide, and for more about visiting Castle Campbell or its history, visit Historic Environment Scotland and trove.scot.

Copyright notice: unless otherwise credited, all images © 2026 Hilary Robertson. All rights reserved.