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The castle
is situated on the east Kintyre coast opposite the island of
Arran at the far end of the picturesque village of Skipness. The
nearest town is that of
Tarbert
which is about 20 minutes away by car. To get to
Skipness from Tarbert, take the Main Campbeltown road south.
Just past the Kennacraig Ferry terminal, turn left following the
signs for the Arran ferry. At the Claonig ferry slipway, keep
going for another 2 miles.
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Skipness
Castle is one of the Largest surviving ruins in Argyll and
is a great place to visit as you can enter the castle and
walk on the battlements. It is a little unusual as it is
built on a field near the coast and not on the usual
defendable rocky promontory that most of Scottish castles
have been built.
The
original structure on the site was the chapel and hall house
which were built at the end of the 12th century to the
beginning of the 13th century. The excellent Tower house was
built sometime in the 16th century and rises to a
magnificent five stories.
The
original castle buildings were put there by Dugald MacSween
. Dugald was the son of the Macsween who built
Castle Sween
to the
north in Knapdale near
Tighnabruaich. |
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The castle
changed hands in 1262 and was then the property of the Menteith
family, eventually it became crown property and then was given
to the Clan Campbell. After many changes of fortune the castle
is currently looked after by Historic Scotland.
The
nearest village is Skipness, the nearest town is
Tarbert
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Please
use this map to orientate yourself to the general area
and vicinity of the castle. |
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