Castles of Clan Colquhoun

Dunglass Castle
Dunglass Castle, near Old Kilpatrick in West Dunbartonshire, was the original seat of Clan Colquhoun. Built in the 14th century, it was the stronghold of Sir John Colquhoun, Chamberlain of Scotland, and a center of the clan’s early power. While largely ruined by the 18th century, fragments of the courtyard walls and a turret bearing the Colquhoun arms still survive. The castle stood atop a rocky promontory overlooking the River Clyde. Though little remains, it marks the foundation of Colquhoun influence in the Lennox.

Rossdhu Castle and Rossdhu House
Rossdhu Castle, located near Luss on Loch Lomond, became the primary seat of the Colquhoun chiefs in the 15th century. Built by Sir John Colquhoun around 1457, the original castle was partially demolished in the 18th century when Rossdhu House, a Georgian mansion, was constructed nearby. The estate served as the clan’s home for centuries, with the house now part of the Loch Lomond Golf Club. Portions of the medieval tower and private chapel still exist on the grounds. Rossdhu remains the symbolic heart of Clan Colquhoun.

Bannachra Castle
Bannachra Castle, located in Glen Fruin near Arden, was built around 1512 by the Colquhouns on land acquired from Clan Galbraith. The three-storey tower house was the site of a notorious 1592 assassination of Sir Humphrey Colquhoun, said to have been shot by a MacGregor archer through a window. The castle was sacked and abandoned shortly after. Today, only parts of the thick stone walls and a vaulted basement remain, overgrown with ivy. The ruins stand as a memorial to a violent chapter in the clan’s history.

Camstradden Castle
Camstradden Castle, located just south of Luss, was the residence of a cadet branch of Clan Colquhoun from the late 14th century. The estate was granted to a younger son of the chief and remained in family hands for generations. The original tower house likely stood near what is now Camstradden House, though no visible remains survive. The site remained a Colquhoun dower house into the modern era. It reflects the clan’s branching influence around Loch Lomond.

Castles Loosely Associated with Clan Colquhoun

Dumbarton Castle
Dumbarton Castle, a royal fortress on the River Clyde, was governed by members of Clan Colquhoun in the 15th and 16th centuries. Sir John Colquhoun of Luss was appointed governor and Sheriff of Dumbarton after aiding the Crown. The fortress’s towering crag and twin peaks were of major strategic value. Though not a clan residence, the Colquhouns’ stewardship of the site demonstrated their royal favor. The castle still dominates the Clyde estuary and is open to the public.

Inchmurrin Castle (Lennox Castle)
Inchmurrin Castle, located on the largest island in Loch Lomond, was a 14th-century hunting lodge of the Earls of Lennox. In 1439, Sir John Colquhoun was murdered there during a raid led by Clan MacLean, marking a tragic turning point in clan history. Though the Colquhouns never owned the island, the assassination of their chief at the site cemented its place in the clan’s lore. The ruined curtain wall and gatehouse fragments still stand on the island’s southern tip. Inchmurrin remains privately owned but viewable by permission.

Dunbar Castle
Dunbar Castle, on Scotland’s east coast, played a role in Colquhoun history when Sir John Colquhoun was killed there in 1489 while serving the Crown during a siege. A cannonball fired from the castle fatally struck him during the conflict. Although never held by the clan, the incident is remembered as a moment of royal service and sacrifice. Today, the sea-battered ruins overlook Dunbar harbour. They represent the wider reach of the clan’s loyalty beyond their home territory.

Balloch Castle (Old)
Balloch Castle, near the southern end of Loch Lomond, was the medieval seat of the Earls of Lennox. It became loosely associated with Clan Colquhoun through marriage in the 14th century, when Sir Robert Colquhoun married the heiress of Luss, a cadet of the Lennox family. That union brought the Luss lands to the Colquhouns, establishing their long-term position in the region. The original castle was abandoned for Inchmurrin in the 15th century. Earthworks near Balloch Country Park mark the site today.

References

Coventry, M. (2010). The Castles of Scotland (5th ed.). Musselburgh: Goblinshead.
Tabraham, C. (2005). Scotland’s Castles. London: Batsford.
Historic Environment Scotland. (n.d.). Castle Records and Listings.
Fraser, W. (1869). The Chiefs of Colquhoun and Their Country. Edinburgh: Privately Printed.
Clan Colquhoun International Society. (n.d.). Colquhoun History and Heritage.
RCAHMS. (n.d.). National Monuments Record of Scotland.