Auchenbreck Castle

Little remains of the castle other than a flat rectangular platform approximately 35 metres by 18 metres which lies between Auchenbreck farmhouse and the Auchenbreck burn, this is partially bounded by a lime rendered wall up to 2.2 metres high.

 

The castle was the residence of Sir Duncan Campbell whose initials and crest dated 1610 appear on a stone in the present church wall. The farmhouse and mill of Auchenbreck were built from material taken from the original castle.

The Campbell’s of Auchenbreck were a branch of the clan Campbell descended from Duncan,a younger son of Duncan Campbell 1st.Lord Campbell.In 1435 he was granted lands near Dunoon and in Glassary.By the 16th.century the family were known as of Auchenbreck.The family remained at their estate until 1641 and were commissioned to provide military training and were used by the Earls of Argyll as military support.
Around 1703 the castle was purchased by John Fullerton the former minister of Kilmodan and in later life Bishop of Edinburgh.

 

The estate was sold in 1728 after Fullartons death,it also included a mansion which may have been built from the stones of the castle. The castle was in its current state by 1870.

 

More Detailed Information:

Sir James Campbell was a member of Scotish Parliament (1702-1707) and English Parliament (1705-1707). As a supportedof the House of Stuart, he participated in the First Jacobite Rebellion (1715), aimed at returning James VII of Scotland and II of England, and later his descendants of the House of Stuart, to the throne after he was deposed by Parliament during the Glorious Revolution. The series of conflicts takes its name from Jacobus, the Latin form of James. After the failure of the rebellion, on 28 September 1721James Campbell of Auchinbreck was granted a pardon "upon his return to duty".Sir James, the 5th Baronet of Auchinbreck, was imprisoned in Dunbarton Castle for his part in the Second Jacobite Rebellion (1745), another attempt to put Bonnie Prince Charles on the throne, replacing the Hanovers and restoring the Stuarts. The Baronet of Auchinbreck was one of three lords who invited Prince Charles back to Scotland. The other two were beheaded. The only reason the Baronet didn't lose his head along with a large part of his lands in 1745/6, was because of his great age and thus because it could be claimed his mind had gone a little. So his distant cousin, the Duke of Argyll, imprisoned him instead at Dunbarton Castle (also known as Dumbarton). He died at Lochgair, Argyllshire, Scotland in 1756 at an age well over 70. Furthermore, he forfeited the baronial seat -- at Inveraray, Argyllshire, Scotland, which is why these Campbells were sometimes referred to in their day as "of Argyll" -- meaning the location. Since it had orginally come to the Auchinbreck line by grant of their superior lord, the REAL Argyll (Lords of Lochawe who became Earls of Argyll), it was forfeited back to the then Duke of Argyll. For about 300 years, however, Inveraray had been the property of the lairds, then baronets, then Barons of Auchinbreck and the last three generations of that line were closer to Cawdor than to Argyll.

 

James' will named daughters Elizabeth Woods and Mary Woods, as well as a Stuart daughter, and sons, including Gilbert Campbell. At least 6 of his children emigrated -- for good reason.

 

Rating: n/a

 

How to get there: Remains are at the mouth of Glendaruel 9km north of Tighnabruaich.

 

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