Dunglas Castle (9)
This is the north side, or front, of the 16th century castle, with the main entrance to the courtyard to the left. The gable to the right is the north end of the main block, with the wee turret on its north-west angle, and the bit with the bricked up window is the wing.
As mentioned before, the two section of the building do not join at right angles, which is why the chimney stacks appear to be have been cross-threaded when they were screwed on!
Dunglass was once the chief stronghold of the Clan Colquhoun. From 1439 onwards it was the seat of Sir John Colquhoun, Lord Chamberlain of Scotland and one of the most distinguished men of his time. The tower-house is said by Tranter to have been the work of Sir Humphrey Colquhoun, 16th of Luss, who, he goes on to tell us "in 1592 was slain at Bannachra (a castle now much more ruined than this, that lies between Helensburgh and Loch Lomond) by MacFarlanes and MacGregors as he went upstairs to bed, a tampered with servant carrying a light which intermittently silhouetted the laird at the stairway's arrow-slit windows - unneighbourly conduct but phenomenal shooting!"
An intriguing story, about which I immediately wanted to know more! Here's the full story:
In July 1592, a party of Macgregors and Macfarlanes came down upon the low country of Dumbartonshire, and committed vast ravages, especially upon the territory of the Colquhouns. At the head of his vassals, and accompanied by several of the gentlemen of the neighbourhood, Sir Humphry Colquhoun attacked the invaders, and after a bloody conflict, which was only put an end to at nightfall, he was overpowered by his assailants, and forced to retreat. To quote from Mr Fraser's Chiefs of the Colquhouns –
"He betook himself to the castle of Bannachra, a stronghold which had been erected by the Colquhouns at the foot of the north side of the hill of Bennibuie, in the parish of Luss. A party of the Macfarlanes and Macgregors pursued him, and laid siege to his castle. One of the servants who attended the knight was of the same surname as himself. He had been tampered with by the assailants of his master, and treacherously made him their victim. The servant, while conducting his master to his room up a winding stair of the castle, made him by preconcert, a mark for arrows of the clan who pursued him, by throwing the glare of a paper torch upon his person when opposite a loophole. A winged arrow, darted from its string with a steady aim, pierced the unhappy knight to the heart, and he fell dead on the spot. The fatal loophole is still pointed out, but the stair, like its unfortunate lord, has crumbled into dust".
The story goes that the death of the chief was brought about by his second brother, John. At any rate an entry in the diary of Robert Birrell, burgess of Edinburgh, dated 30th November, 1592, mentions that "John Cachoune was beheidit at the Crosse at Edinburghe for murthering of his auen brother the Lairde of Lusse." Further confirmation of the tradition that John was the guilty man is to be found in the fact that Sir Humphrey was succeeded, not by his second but by his third brother, Sir Alexander Colquhoun.
Dunglas Castle (9)
This is the north side, or front, of the 16th century castle, with the main entrance to the courtyard to the left. The gable to the right is the north end of the main block, with the wee turret on its north-west angle, and the bit with the bricked up window is the wing.
As mentioned before, the two section of the building do not join at right angles, which is why the chimney stacks appear to be have been cross-threaded when they were screwed on!
Dunglass was once the chief stronghold of the Clan Colquhoun. From 1439 onwards it was the seat of Sir John Colquhoun, Lord Chamberlain of Scotland and one of the most distinguished men of his time. The tower-house is said by Tranter to have been the work of Sir Humphrey Colquhoun, 16th of Luss, who, he goes on to tell us "in 1592 was slain at Bannachra (a castle now much more ruined than this, that lies between Helensburgh and Loch Lomond) by MacFarlanes and MacGregors as he went upstairs to bed, a tampered with servant carrying a light which intermittently silhouetted the laird at the stairway's arrow-slit windows - unneighbourly conduct but phenomenal shooting!"
An intriguing story, about which I immediately wanted to know more! Here's the full story:
In July 1592, a party of Macgregors and Macfarlanes came down upon the low country of Dumbartonshire, and committed vast ravages, especially upon the territory of the Colquhouns. At the head of his vassals, and accompanied by several of the gentlemen of the neighbourhood, Sir Humphry Colquhoun attacked the invaders, and after a bloody conflict, which was only put an end to at nightfall, he was overpowered by his assailants, and forced to retreat. To quote from Mr Fraser's Chiefs of the Colquhouns –
"He betook himself to the castle of Bannachra, a stronghold which had been erected by the Colquhouns at the foot of the north side of the hill of Bennibuie, in the parish of Luss. A party of the Macfarlanes and Macgregors pursued him, and laid siege to his castle. One of the servants who attended the knight was of the same surname as himself. He had been tampered with by the assailants of his master, and treacherously made him their victim. The servant, while conducting his master to his room up a winding stair of the castle, made him by preconcert, a mark for arrows of the clan who pursued him, by throwing the glare of a paper torch upon his person when opposite a loophole. A winged arrow, darted from its string with a steady aim, pierced the unhappy knight to the heart, and he fell dead on the spot. The fatal loophole is still pointed out, but the stair, like its unfortunate lord, has crumbled into dust".
The story goes that the death of the chief was brought about by his second brother, John. At any rate an entry in the diary of Robert Birrell, burgess of Edinburgh, dated 30th November, 1592, mentions that "John Cachoune was beheidit at the Crosse at Edinburghe for murthering of his auen brother the Lairde of Lusse." Further confirmation of the tradition that John was the guilty man is to be found in the fact that Sir Humphrey was succeeded, not by his second but by his third brother, Sir Alexander Colquhoun.