Dumbarton Castle
Encyclopedia
Dumbarton Castle has the longest recorded history of any stronghold in Great Britain
. It overlooks the Scottish
town of Dumbarton, and sits on a plug
of volcanic
basalt
known as Dumbarton Rock which is 240 feet (73 m) high.
, this has been the site of a strategically important settlement. Its early residents were known to have traded with the Romans
. The presence of a settlement is first recorded in a letter Saint Patrick
wrote to King Ceretic of Alt Clut
(or Clyde Rock) in the late 5th century.
. The King of the Britons of Dumbarton in about AD
570 was Riderch Hael
, who features in Norse
legends. During his reign Merlin was said to have stayed at Alt Clut. In 756 the first (and second) losses of Dumbarton Rock were recorded. A joint force of Picts
and Northumbrians captured Alcluith after a siege, only to lose it again a few days later.
By 870 Dumbarton Rock was home to a tightly packed British settlement, which served as a fortress and as the capital of Alt Clut. The Vikings laid siege to Dumbarton for four months, eventually defeating the inhabitants when they cut off their water supply. The Norse king Olaf
returned to the Viking city of Dublin in 871, with two hundred ships full of slaves and looted treasures. Olaf came to an agreement with Constantine I of Scotland
, and Artgal of Alt Clut
.
Strathclyde's independence may have come to an end with the death of Owen the Bald, when the dynasty of Kenneth mac Alpin began to rule the region.
In medieval Scotland
, Dumbarton (Dùn Breatainn, which means 'the fortress of the Britons') was an important royal castle. It sheltered David II
and his young wife, Joan of The Tower
after the Scottish defeat at Halidon Hill
in 1333.
In 1425 the castle was attacked by James the Fat
, youngest son of Murdoch Stewart, Duke of Albany, who had been imprisoned by King James I of Scotland on charges of treason. James the Fat became a rallying point for enemies of the King, and raised a large rebellion against the crown. He marched on the town of Dumbarton and burned it, but was unable to take the castle, whose defender John Colquhoun successfully held out against James' men.
Patrick Hepburn, 1st Earl of Bothwell
, was Captain of Dumbarton castle on April 1, 1495.
, Robert Stewart
, a brother of Matthew Stewart, 4th Earl of Lennox
, who came from England with the support of Henry VIII
. He had sailed from Chester
with around 20 followers in May 1546 in the Katherine Goodman and a pinnace. Having borrowed the artillery of the Earl of Argyle
, Arran successfully besieged the castle, which surrendered after 20 days. The chronicle historian John Lesley
wrote that the Captain and the Bishop surrendered the castle to Arran and were rewarded, after negotiation by the Earl of Huntly
. The siege at Dumbarton delayed Arran's action at the siege of St Andrews Castle
on the east coast of Scotland.
In 1548, after the Battle of Pinkie, east of Edinburgh
, the infant Mary, Queen of Scots was kept at the castle for several months before her removal to France
for safety, where she was soon betrothed to the young dauphin Francis
.
In October 1570, John Fleming, 5th Lord Fleming
fortified the castle for Mary against the supporters of James VI of Scotland with stones he obtained by demolishing churches and houses in Dumbarton and Cardross. His defence of Dumbarton for Mary was satirized in a ballad printed by Robert Lekprevik in May 1570; The tressoun of Dumbertane. Attributed to Robert Sempill
, the ballad describes Fleming's failed ambush of Sir William Drury
. The castle was captured by the forces of the Regent (Matthew Stewart, 4th Earl of Lennox
) led by Thomas Crawford
of Jordanhill
in the early hours of 2nd April 1571, who used ladders to scale the rock and surprise the garrison.
's death in 1658. Due to threats posed by Jacobites
and the French in the eighteenth century, Britain built new structures and defences there and continued to garrison the castle until World War II
.
Today all visible traces of the Dark-Age Alcluith, literally Clyde Rock , its buildings and defences, have gone. Not much survives from the medieval castle: the 14th-century Portcullis Arch, the foundations of the Wallace Tower, and what may be the foundations of the White Tower. There is a 16th-century guard house, which includes a face which according to legend is "Fause Menteith
", who betrayed William Wallace
.
Most of the existing structures were built in the 18th century, including the Governor's House, built for John Kennedy, 8th Earl of Cassilis
, and fortifications which demonstrated the struggle by military engineers to adapt an intractable site to contemporary defensive needs. The splendid views from the twin summits of the White Tower Crag and the Beak remind us why this rocky outcrop was chosen as 'the fortress of the Britons' centuries ago.
The castle is open on a daily basis during the summer season and Saturday-Wednesday in the winter. Visitors must climb the 557 steps to see the White Tower Crag and other features.
Dumbarton Rock is in state ownership and is legally protected by the Scottish Government as a Scheduled Ancient Monument
, to conserve it for future generations. Activities such as rock climbing are forbidden; any change or damage caused is considered a criminal offence.
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
. It overlooks the Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
town of Dumbarton, and sits on a plug
Volcanic plug
A volcanic plug, also called a volcanic neck or lava neck, is a volcanic landform created when magma hardens within a vent on an active volcano. When forming, a plug can cause an extreme build-up of pressure if volatile-charged magma is trapped beneath it, and this can sometimes lead to an...
of volcanic
Volcano
2. Bedrock3. Conduit 4. Base5. Sill6. Dike7. Layers of ash emitted by the volcano8. Flank| 9. Layers of lava emitted by the volcano10. Throat11. Parasitic cone12. Lava flow13. Vent14. Crater15...
basalt
Basalt
Basalt is a common extrusive volcanic rock. It is usually grey to black and fine-grained due to rapid cooling of lava at the surface of a planet. It may be porphyritic containing larger crystals in a fine matrix, or vesicular, or frothy scoria. Unweathered basalt is black or grey...
known as Dumbarton Rock which is 240 feet (73 m) high.
Iron Age
At least as far back as the Iron AgeIron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
, this has been the site of a strategically important settlement. Its early residents were known to have traded with the Romans
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
. The presence of a settlement is first recorded in a letter Saint Patrick
Saint Patrick
Saint Patrick was a Romano-Briton and Christian missionary, who is the most generally recognized patron saint of Ireland or the Apostle of Ireland, although Brigid of Kildare and Colmcille are also formally patron saints....
wrote to King Ceretic of Alt Clut
Ceretic of Alt Clut
Ceretic Guletic of Alt Clut was a king of Alt Clut in the 5th century. He has been identified with Coroticus, a Britonnic warrior addressed in a letter by Saint Patrick. Of Patrick's two surviving letters, one is addressed to the warband of this Coroticus...
(or Clyde Rock) in the late 5th century.
Dark Ages
From the fifth century until the ninth, the castle was the centre of the independent British Kingdom of StrathclydeKingdom of Strathclyde
Strathclyde , originally Brythonic Ystrad Clud, was one of the early medieval kingdoms of the celtic people called the Britons in the Hen Ogledd, the Brythonic-speaking parts of what is now southern Scotland and northern England. The kingdom developed during the post-Roman period...
. The King of the Britons of Dumbarton in about AD
Anno Domini
and Before Christ are designations used to label or number years used with the Julian and Gregorian calendars....
570 was Riderch Hael
Riderch I of Alt Clut
Riderch I , commonly known as Riderch or Rhydderch Hael , was a ruler of Alt Clut and the greater region later known as Strathclyde, a Brittonic kingdom that existed on the valley of the River Clyde in Scotland during the British Sub-Roman period...
, who features in Norse
Norsemen
Norsemen is used to refer to the group of people as a whole who spoke what is now called the Old Norse language belonging to the North Germanic branch of Indo-European languages, especially Norwegian, Icelandic, Faroese, Swedish and Danish in their earlier forms.The meaning of Norseman was "people...
legends. During his reign Merlin was said to have stayed at Alt Clut. In 756 the first (and second) losses of Dumbarton Rock were recorded. A joint force of Picts
Picts
The Picts were a group of Late Iron Age and Early Mediaeval people living in what is now eastern and northern Scotland. There is an association with the distribution of brochs, place names beginning 'Pit-', for instance Pitlochry, and Pictish stones. They are recorded from before the Roman conquest...
and Northumbrians captured Alcluith after a siege, only to lose it again a few days later.
By 870 Dumbarton Rock was home to a tightly packed British settlement, which served as a fortress and as the capital of Alt Clut. The Vikings laid siege to Dumbarton for four months, eventually defeating the inhabitants when they cut off their water supply. The Norse king Olaf
Olaf
Olaf is a Germanic name of Proto-Germanic origin, meaning "ancestor's heirloom". It was borrowed into Old Irish and spelled Amlaíb. It may refer to:-Kings:Norse:*Olaf Haraldsson Geirstadalf, petty king...
returned to the Viking city of Dublin in 871, with two hundred ships full of slaves and looted treasures. Olaf came to an agreement with Constantine I of Scotland
Constantine I of Scotland
Causantín or Constantín mac Cináeda was a king of the Picts. He is often known as Constantine I, in reference to his place in modern lists of kings of Scots, though contemporary sources described Causantín only as a Pictish king...
, and Artgal of Alt Clut
Artgal of Alt Clut
Artgal was a king of Alt Clut and Strathclyde , a Brythonic kingdom in the Hen Ogledd or "Old North" of Britain, for some time in the mid-9th century. Artgal's reign is notable in that he is the first certain king of Alt Clut since Dumnagual III of Alt Clut a century before...
.
Strathclyde's independence may have come to an end with the death of Owen the Bald, when the dynasty of Kenneth mac Alpin began to rule the region.
Medieval Era
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, Dumbarton (Dùn Breatainn, which means 'the fortress of the Britons') was an important royal castle. It sheltered David II
David II of Scotland
David II was King of Scots from 7 June 1329 until his death.-Early life:...
and his young wife, Joan of The Tower
Joan of The Tower
Joan of England , known as Joan of The Tower, was the first wife and Queen consort of king David II of Scotland.-Birth:...
after the Scottish defeat at Halidon Hill
Battle of Halidon Hill
The Battle of Halidon Hill was fought during the Second War of Scottish Independence. Scottish forces under Sir Archibald Douglas were heavily defeated on unfavourable terrain while trying to relieve Berwick-upon-Tweed.-The Disinherited:...
in 1333.
In 1425 the castle was attacked by James the Fat
James the Fat
James Mor Stewart, called James the Fat, was the youngest son of Murdoch Stewart, Duke of Albany and Isabella of Lennox. When his father and brothers were executed by King James I for treason in 1425, James led a rebellion against the king, taking the town of Dumbarton and killing the keeper of...
, youngest son of Murdoch Stewart, Duke of Albany, who had been imprisoned by King James I of Scotland on charges of treason. James the Fat became a rallying point for enemies of the King, and raised a large rebellion against the crown. He marched on the town of Dumbarton and burned it, but was unable to take the castle, whose defender John Colquhoun successfully held out against James' men.
Patrick Hepburn, 1st Earl of Bothwell
Patrick Hepburn, 1st Earl of Bothwell
Patrick Hepburn, 1st Earl of Bothwell was Lord High Admiral of Scotland. Under his territorial designation of Sir Patrick Hepburne of Dunsyre, Knt., he was Sheriff of Berwickshire, 15 June 1480...
, was Captain of Dumbarton castle on April 1, 1495.
Sixteenth century
During the war of the Rough Wooing, the castle was briefly occupied against the Scottish Government of Regent Arran by the Bishop of CaithnessBishop of Caithness
The Bishop of Caithness was the ecclesiastical head of the Diocese of Caithness, one of Scotland's 13 medieval bishoprics. The first referenced bishop of Caithness was Aindréas, a Gael who appears in sources between 1146 and 1151 as bishop. Aindréas spent much if not all of his career outside his...
, Robert Stewart
Robert Stewart, 1st Earl of March
Robert Stewart, 1st Earl of Lennox then 1st Earl of March was a Scottish nobleman of the family of Stewart of Darnley.-Titles:...
, a brother of Matthew Stewart, 4th Earl of Lennox
Matthew Stewart, 4th Earl of Lennox
Matthew Stewart, 4th Earl of Lennox was the 4th Earl of Lennox, and leader of the Catholic nobility in Scotland. He was the son of John Stewart, 3rd Earl of Lennox. His grandson was James VI of Scotland....
, who came from England with the support of Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
. He had sailed from Chester
Chester
Chester is a city in Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77,040 inhabitants, and is the largest and most populous settlement of the wider unitary authority area of Cheshire West and Chester, which had a population of 328,100 according to the...
with around 20 followers in May 1546 in the Katherine Goodman and a pinnace. Having borrowed the artillery of the Earl of Argyle
Archibald Campbell, 4th Earl of Argyll
Gillespie Roy Archibald Campbell, 4th Earl of Argyll was a Scottish nobleman and politician.-Biography:He was the eldest son of Colin Campbell, 3rd Earl of Argyll and Jean Gordon, daughter of Alexander Gordon, 3rd Earl of Huntly...
, Arran successfully besieged the castle, which surrendered after 20 days. The chronicle historian John Lesley
John Lesley
John Lesley was a Scottish Roman Catholic bishop and historian. His father was Gavin Lesley, rector of Kingussie, Badenoch.-Early career:...
wrote that the Captain and the Bishop surrendered the castle to Arran and were rewarded, after negotiation by the Earl of Huntly
George Gordon, 4th Earl of Huntly
George Gordon, 4th Earl of Huntly was a Scottish nobleman.-Biography:He was the son of John Gordon, Lord Gordon, and Margaret Stewart, daughter of James IV. George Gordon inherited his earldom and estates in 1524 at age 10...
. The siege at Dumbarton delayed Arran's action at the siege of St Andrews Castle
Siege of St Andrews Castle
The Siege of St Andrews Castle followed the killing of Cardinal David Beaton by a group of Protestants at St Andrews Castle. They remained in the castle and were besieged by the Governor of Scotland. However, over 18 months the Scottish besieging forces made little impact, and the Castle finally...
on the east coast of Scotland.
In 1548, after the Battle of Pinkie, east of Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, the infant Mary, Queen of Scots was kept at the castle for several months before her removal to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
for safety, where she was soon betrothed to the young dauphin Francis
Francis II of France
Francis II was aged 15 when he succeeded to the throne of France after the accidental death of his father, King Henry II, in 1559. He reigned for 18 months before he died in December 1560...
.
In October 1570, John Fleming, 5th Lord Fleming
John Fleming, 5th Lord Fleming
-Life:He was the son of Malcolm Fleming, 3rd Lord Fleming, lord high chamberlain, by his wife Johanna or Jonet Stewart, natural daughter of James IV.He succeeded his brother James Fleming, 4th Lord Fleming....
fortified the castle for Mary against the supporters of James VI of Scotland with stones he obtained by demolishing churches and houses in Dumbarton and Cardross. His defence of Dumbarton for Mary was satirized in a ballad printed by Robert Lekprevik in May 1570; The tressoun of Dumbertane. Attributed to Robert Sempill
Robert Sempill
Robert Sempill , Scottish ballad-writer, was in all probability a cadet of illegitimate birth of the noble house of Sempill or Semple.Very little is known of Sempill's life. He appears to have spent some time in Paris...
, the ballad describes Fleming's failed ambush of Sir William Drury
William Drury
Sir William Drury, Knt., was an English statesman and soldier,He was a son of Sir Robert Drury of Hedgerley in Buckinghamshire, and grandson of another Sir Robert Drury , who was speaker of the House of Commons in 1495. He was a brother of Dru Drury.He was born at Hawstead in Suffolk, and was...
. The castle was captured by the forces of the Regent (Matthew Stewart, 4th Earl of Lennox
Matthew Stewart, 4th Earl of Lennox
Matthew Stewart, 4th Earl of Lennox was the 4th Earl of Lennox, and leader of the Catholic nobility in Scotland. He was the son of John Stewart, 3rd Earl of Lennox. His grandson was James VI of Scotland....
) led by Thomas Crawford
Thomas Crawford (Captain)
Captain Thomas Crawford of Jordanhill . He was a trusted confidant of Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, husband of Mary, Queen of Scots and a retainer of the Matthew Stewart, 4th Earl of Lennox...
of Jordanhill
Jordanhill
Jordanhill is an affluent area of the West End of the city of Glasgow, Scotland. The area consists largely of terraced housing dating from the early to mid 20th century, with some detached and semi-detached homes and some modern apartments....
in the early hours of 2nd April 1571, who used ladders to scale the rock and surprise the garrison.
Seventeenth century
The castle's importance declined after Oliver CromwellOliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell was an English military and political leader who overthrew the English monarchy and temporarily turned England into a republican Commonwealth, and served as Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland....
's death in 1658. Due to threats posed by Jacobites
Jacobitism
Jacobitism was the political movement in Britain dedicated to the restoration of the Stuart kings to the thrones of England, Scotland, later the Kingdom of Great Britain, and the Kingdom of Ireland...
and the French in the eighteenth century, Britain built new structures and defences there and continued to garrison the castle until World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
The castle today
John de Menteith
Sir John de Menteith was a Scottish nobleman.He was born to Mary, Countess of Menteith and her husband Walter "Bailloch" Stewart, Earl of Menteith jure uxoris. He and his older brother, Alexander, Earl of Menteith, replaced their paternal Stewart surname in favour of Menteith, which earned him the...
", who betrayed William Wallace
William Wallace
Sir William Wallace was a Scottish knight and landowner who became one of the main leaders during the Wars of Scottish Independence....
.
Most of the existing structures were built in the 18th century, including the Governor's House, built for John Kennedy, 8th Earl of Cassilis
John Kennedy, 8th Earl of Cassilis
John Kennedy, 8th Earl of Cassilis was a Scottish peer.He succeeded to the titles of 10th Lord Kennedy and 8th Earl of Cassilis on 23 July 1701.He held the office of Governor of Dumbarton Castle between 1737 and 1759....
, and fortifications which demonstrated the struggle by military engineers to adapt an intractable site to contemporary defensive needs. The splendid views from the twin summits of the White Tower Crag and the Beak remind us why this rocky outcrop was chosen as 'the fortress of the Britons' centuries ago.
The castle is open on a daily basis during the summer season and Saturday-Wednesday in the winter. Visitors must climb the 557 steps to see the White Tower Crag and other features.
Dumbarton Rock is in state ownership and is legally protected by the Scottish Government as a Scheduled Ancient Monument
Scheduled Ancient Monument
In the United Kingdom, a scheduled monument is a 'nationally important' archaeological site or historic building, given protection against unauthorized change. The various pieces of legislation used for legally protecting heritage assets from damage and destruction are grouped under the term...
, to conserve it for future generations. Activities such as rock climbing are forbidden; any change or damage caused is considered a criminal offence.