Castle Campbell

Overview

The main appeal of Castle Campbell is its location above the lovely village of Dollar. To reach the castle, visitors have to drive along narrow lanes and then up a steep hill to reach the main car park. From there, a well-defined path leads to the castle, but if you don’t want to walk too much, you can continue to the second car park. This car park only has spaces for a few cars, but the walk to the castle is much shorter and downhill. 

The castle is perched on a hillside within the Dollar Glen and is flanked on each side by burns with the curious names of Care and Sorrow. On the subject of curious names, the castle was originally called "Castle Gloom" (sometimes spelt "Glume"). The name changed to Castle Campbell in 1489 when the castle became the property of Colin Campbell who held the powerful position of Chancellor of Scotland.

 Although just above the village of Dollar, the setting feels quite isolated and the view as you approach the entrance gives a good impression of how the castle must have looked in its past. The Tower House of the castle is intact and you can climb up to its upper levels, but most of the courtyard and the once-grand banqueting hall are in ruins.

Enough of the castle remains to help you imagine how living here would have been in the 16th century and the views from the rooftop are well worth the effort of the climb. Children will probably get a thrill from discovering the pit prison in the Tower house. The prison is built into the thick walls of the castle and has access via a hatch in the first-floor hall where enemies would be dropped into the dungeon.

From the castle, you can follow a choice of well-made paths that explore the narrow wooded gorge of Dollar Glen with its waterfalls. One of the things to look out for in Dollar Glen is a viewpoint at a rocky outcrop which is known as "Knox's Pulpit" after the 16th-century religious reformer. There is no historical evidence that he preached here but he did visit Castle Campbell in 1566.

An interesting fact is that the caretaker lives in the castle as accommodation comes with the job!

Save money on visiting this attraction by buying an Explorer Pass.