Faslane Castle, Shandon Castle, and St Michael's Chapel
Encyclopedia
Faslane Castle and Shandon Castle were two mediaeval Scottish castles
which once stood between the towns Garelochhead
and Helensburgh
, near the shores of the Gare Loch
, in Argyll and Bute
. In the 19th century, the castles were thought to have dated back to the Middle Ages
. At that time period, they were situated in within the mormaerdom of Lennox
, which was controlled by the mormaers of Lennox. Today nothing remains of Faslane Castle; though in the 19th century certain ruins of Shandon Castle were said to have still existed. Near the site of Faslane Castle sits the ruinous St Michael's Chapel, which has also been thought to date to the Middle Ages.
(and also within the old county of Dunbartonshire
). The site of the castle is located about 1.7 miles (3 km) north of the modern town of Shandon
; and about 1 miles (2 km) south of the town of Garelochhead
. The site sits overlooking the Gare Loch
and is today dominated by the Her Majesty's Naval Base Clyde
.
In the Middle Ages
, the lands of Dunbartonshire were then part of the Lennox
, and were controlled by the mormaers of Lennox
. The early 13th century mormaer Ailín II
granted an extensive tract of land lying on the eastern side of the Gare Loch to one of his younger sons, Amhlaíbh. Descending from Amhlaíbh was Walter of Faslane
, who was the great-grandson of Ailín II. On the death of Mormaer Domhnall, Walter became the representative of the male line of the house of Lennox. With his marriage to Margaret
, daughter of Domhnall, Walter became mormaer in his own right.
The castle, according to 19th century historian William Fraser, was said to have dated back to the 12th century. The 21st century mediaevalist Geoffrey Stell compiled a census of mottes
within Scotland and listed only four in Dunbartonshire—one of which is Faslane. According to Fraser, the castle was often occupied by earls of Lennox
, or members of their family.
Faslane Castle makes an appearance in the 15th century epic poem, known as The Wallace
, composed by the maker
Blind Harry
. The story runs that Wallace sacked the town of Dumbarton, and laid waste the castle of Rosneath
—the modern village of Rosneath sits on the opposite side of the Gare Loch from the sites of Faslane, Shandon, and Ardincaple castles. He then proceeded across the loch to Faslane Castle, where he was warmly received by Mormaer Maol Choluim I
.
In 1543, Faslane was bestowed by Matthew Stewart, Earl of Lennox
on Adam Colquhoun. In 1567, it and Garelochhead were acquired by Campbell of Ardkinlass, who sold it before 1583 to Campbell of Carrick
. In 1693 it was in the hands of Sir John Colquhoun of Luss
, who feud
it to Archibald MacAulay of Ardincaple. According to the 19th century historian Joseph Irving, in the mid 18th century the ruined Faslane Castle "furnished a shelter to the last representative of a once powerful family"—the last clan chief
of the MacAulays of Ardincaple
.
Fraser stated in 1869, that no buildings or any part of the castle was then visible. He stated that the only remaining trace of the castle was a green mound, which overlooked the junction of two deep glens, between two small rivulets of which the banks were steep. William Charles Maughan stated that the site of the castle could be distinguished, at the time of his writing, "by a small mound near the murmuring burn which flows into the bay". Maughan also wrote that at Faslane there stood an oak
tree at place called in Scottish Gaelic Cnoch-na-Cullah (English: "knoll of the cock"); and that according to legend, when a cock crowed beneath the branches of the old oak upon the knoll
, a member of Clan MacAulay
was about to die.
It has been stated that the site of Faslane Castle was destroyed when the West Highland Railway
was built over top of the site, in 1891–1894.
Near the site of the castle is St Michael's Chapel . Fraser described the ruins of the chapel as measuring 43 by. He stated that stones had been removed from the site, except for two gable
ends that still stood at the time of his writing (1869). He wrote that the foundations of what was reputed to be the priest's house, could still be seen between the chapel and the barn. On the site he noted that on the site of the stream, located beneath the bank, there was a spring
called "The Priest's Well". George Chalmers
, and the late 19th and early 20th century architects David MacGibbon and Thomas Ross
, stated that the chapel had apparently been dedicated to St Michael
, and that it may date from the 13th or 14th century. In 1963, the OS visited the site and noted that the chapel and the south wall had been rebuilt (without mortar
), to a height of 1.3 metres (4.3 ft). However, there were no traces of the original burying ground, the priest's house, or the well. The site is currently situated within a modern cemetery.
The website for St Michaels Roman Catholic Church, in Dumbarton, states that there is a tradition of dedicating churches to the saint within the area. For example, in Glen Luss, there are the remains of a pre-Reformation
church dedicated to the saint; in Helensburgh there is an Episcopalian
church named 'Saint Michael and the Angels'; and in the Middle Ages there once was a chapel dedicated to St Michael in the Strathleven area of Dumbarton.
Shandon Castle was a castle which once stood near the town of Shandon—the town is situated between site of Faslane and the town of Helensburgh
, which is situated on the shores of the Gare Loch. Fraser described the site of Shandon Castle as being on a hillside, above the house of Shandon. Fraser stated that remains of the castle still existed at the time of his writing and that the site was called "the old Dun
". According to Fraser, no traditions concerning the castle then existed.
Castles in Scotland
This list of castles in Scotland is a link page for any castle in Scotland.A castle is a type of fortified structure built during the Middle Ages. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
which once stood between the towns Garelochhead
Garelochhead
Garelochhead is a small village on the Gare Loch in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It is the nearest village to the HMNB Clyde naval base.Garelochhead lies at the head of the Gare Loch, 7 miles northwest of Helensburgh. Loch Lomond is a few miles to the east, and Loch Long to the west...
and Helensburgh
Helensburgh
Helensburgh is a town in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It lies on the north shore of the Firth of Clyde and the eastern shore of the entrance to the Gareloch....
, near the shores of the Gare Loch
Gare Loch
The Gare Loch or Gareloch is a sea loch in Argyll and Bute, Scotland.-Geography:A sea loch aligned north-south, Gare Loch is 10 kilometres long with an average width of 1.5 kilometres. At its southern end it opens into the Firth of Clyde through the Rhu narrows...
, in Argyll and Bute
Argyll and Bute
Argyll and Bute is both one of 32 unitary council areas; and a Lieutenancy area in Scotland. The administrative centre for the council area is located in Lochgilphead.Argyll and Bute covers the second largest administrative area of any Scottish council...
. In the 19th century, the castles were thought to have dated back to the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
. At that time period, they were situated in within the mormaerdom of Lennox
Lennox (district)
The district of Lennox , often known as "the Lennox", is a region of Scotland centred around the village of Lennoxtown in East Dunbartonshire, eight miles north of the centre of Glasgow. At various times in history, the district has had both a dukedom and earldom associated with it.- External...
, which was controlled by the mormaers of Lennox. Today nothing remains of Faslane Castle; though in the 19th century certain ruins of Shandon Castle were said to have still existed. Near the site of Faslane Castle sits the ruinous St Michael's Chapel, which has also been thought to date to the Middle Ages.
Faslane Castle
Faslane Castle is a castle which once stood near Faslane, in Argyll and ButeArgyll and Bute
Argyll and Bute is both one of 32 unitary council areas; and a Lieutenancy area in Scotland. The administrative centre for the council area is located in Lochgilphead.Argyll and Bute covers the second largest administrative area of any Scottish council...
(and also within the old county of Dunbartonshire
Dunbartonshire
Dunbartonshire or the County of Dumbarton is a lieutenancy area and registration county in the west central Lowlands of Scotland lying to the north of the River Clyde. Until 1975 it was a county used as a primary unit of local government with its county town and administrative centre at the town...
). The site of the castle is located about 1.7 miles (3 km) north of the modern town of Shandon
Shandon, Argyll and Bute
Shandon is a village 4 miles north-north west of Rhu on the Gare Loch in Argyll and Bute, Scotland.Formerly in the county of Dunbartonshire, it developed alongside other similar settlements in the area from a hamlet to a fashionable residential area for wealthy Glasgow merchants.West Shandon House,...
; and about 1 miles (2 km) south of the town of Garelochhead
Garelochhead
Garelochhead is a small village on the Gare Loch in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It is the nearest village to the HMNB Clyde naval base.Garelochhead lies at the head of the Gare Loch, 7 miles northwest of Helensburgh. Loch Lomond is a few miles to the east, and Loch Long to the west...
. The site sits overlooking the Gare Loch
Gare Loch
The Gare Loch or Gareloch is a sea loch in Argyll and Bute, Scotland.-Geography:A sea loch aligned north-south, Gare Loch is 10 kilometres long with an average width of 1.5 kilometres. At its southern end it opens into the Firth of Clyde through the Rhu narrows...
and is today dominated by the Her Majesty's Naval Base Clyde
HMNB Clyde
Her Majesty's Naval Base Clyde is one of three operating bases in the United Kingdom for the Royal Navy...
.
In the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
, the lands of Dunbartonshire were then part of the Lennox
Lennox (district)
The district of Lennox , often known as "the Lennox", is a region of Scotland centred around the village of Lennoxtown in East Dunbartonshire, eight miles north of the centre of Glasgow. At various times in history, the district has had both a dukedom and earldom associated with it.- External...
, and were controlled by the mormaers of Lennox
Earl of Lennox
The Mormaer of Lennox or Earl of Lennox was the ruler of the long-lasting provincial Mormaerdom/Earldom of Lennox in the Medieval Kingdom of the Scots. The first Mormaer is usually regarded as Ailin I , but the genealogy of the Mormaers gives earlier names...
. The early 13th century mormaer Ailín II
Ailín II, Earl of Lennox
Mormaer Ailín II of Lennox, also known as Ailean or Alwyn, was the son of Mormaer Ailín I, and ruled Lennox from somewhere in the beginning of the 13th century until his death in 1217....
granted an extensive tract of land lying on the eastern side of the Gare Loch to one of his younger sons, Amhlaíbh. Descending from Amhlaíbh was Walter of Faslane
Baltar mac Amlaimh, Earl of Lennox
Baltar mac Amlaimh, also called Walter of Faslane, was the de facto Mormaer of Lennox through his wife Margaret between 1365 and 1385.He was the great grandson of Amlaibh, the grandson of Mormaer Ailín II through the male line...
, who was the great-grandson of Ailín II. On the death of Mormaer Domhnall, Walter became the representative of the male line of the house of Lennox. With his marriage to Margaret
Margaret, Countess of Lennox
Margaret, Countess of Lennox was the daughter of Domhnall, Earl of Lennox, who died in about 1364. She married Walter de Fasselane, a cousin, who also descended from previous Earls of Lennox.Margaret and Walter's children were:*Donnchadh, Earl of Lennox...
, daughter of Domhnall, Walter became mormaer in his own right.
The castle, according to 19th century historian William Fraser, was said to have dated back to the 12th century. The 21st century mediaevalist Geoffrey Stell compiled a census of mottes
Motte-and-bailey
A motte-and-bailey is a form of castle, with a wooden or stone keep situated on a raised earthwork called a motte, accompanied by an enclosed courtyard, or bailey, surrounded by a protective ditch and palisade...
within Scotland and listed only four in Dunbartonshire—one of which is Faslane. According to Fraser, the castle was often occupied by earls of Lennox
Earl of Lennox
The Mormaer of Lennox or Earl of Lennox was the ruler of the long-lasting provincial Mormaerdom/Earldom of Lennox in the Medieval Kingdom of the Scots. The first Mormaer is usually regarded as Ailin I , but the genealogy of the Mormaers gives earlier names...
, or members of their family.
Than to Faslan the worthy Scottis can pass, Quhar erll Malcom Maol Choluim I, Earl of Lennox Mormaer Maol Choluim I of Lennox ruled the Mormaerdom of Lennox, between 1250 and 1303.He was an early supporter of the Bruces, and appeared before Edward I of England in 1292 amongst the supporters of Robert Bruce, 5th Lord of Annandale... was bidand at defence; Rycht glaid he was off 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.... gud presence. |
| — Blind Harry Blind Harry Blind Harry , also known as Harry, Hary or Henry the Minstrel, is renowned as the author of The Actes and Deidis of the Illustre and Vallyeant Campioun Schir William Wallace, also known as The Wallace... , The Wallace The Actes and Deidis of the Illustre and Vallyeant Campioun Schir William Wallace The Actes and Deidis of the Illustre and Vallyeant Campioun Schir William Wallace, also known as The Wallace, is a long "romantic biographical" poem by the fifteenth century Scottish makar of the name Blind Harry probably at some time in the decade before 1488... |
Faslane Castle makes an appearance in the 15th century epic poem, known as The Wallace
The Actes and Deidis of the Illustre and Vallyeant Campioun Schir William Wallace
The Actes and Deidis of the Illustre and Vallyeant Campioun Schir William Wallace, also known as The Wallace, is a long "romantic biographical" poem by the fifteenth century Scottish makar of the name Blind Harry probably at some time in the decade before 1488...
, composed by the maker
Maker
Maker is a village between Cawsand and Rame Head, situated on the Rame Peninsula, in Cornwall, United Kingdom.The name means a ruin in Cornish, but another Celtic name is Egloshayle, which means, the church on the estuary, a very apt description of the church's location.The village and its...
Blind Harry
Blind Harry
Blind Harry , also known as Harry, Hary or Henry the Minstrel, is renowned as the author of The Actes and Deidis of the Illustre and Vallyeant Campioun Schir William Wallace, also known as The Wallace...
. The story runs that Wallace sacked the town of Dumbarton, and laid waste the castle of Rosneath
Rosneath
Rosneath is a village in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It sits on the western shore of the Gare Loch near to the tip of the Rosneath peninsula which projects south to the Firth of Clyde between the Gare Loch and Loch Long to the west, and about 2 miles from the village of Kilcreggan which is sited...
—the modern village of Rosneath sits on the opposite side of the Gare Loch from the sites of Faslane, Shandon, and Ardincaple castles. He then proceeded across the loch to Faslane Castle, where he was warmly received by Mormaer Maol Choluim I
Maol Choluim I, Earl of Lennox
Mormaer Maol Choluim I of Lennox ruled the Mormaerdom of Lennox, between 1250 and 1303.He was an early supporter of the Bruces, and appeared before Edward I of England in 1292 amongst the supporters of Robert Bruce, 5th Lord of Annandale...
.
In 1543, Faslane was bestowed by Matthew Stewart, Earl of Lennox
Matthew Stewart, 2nd Earl of Lennox
Matthew Stewart, 2nd Earl of Lennox was a prominent Scottish nobleman. Stewart was the son of John Stewart, 1st Earl of Lennox, and Margaret Montgomerie, daughter of Alexander, Master of Montgomerie....
on Adam Colquhoun. In 1567, it and Garelochhead were acquired by Campbell of Ardkinlass, who sold it before 1583 to Campbell of Carrick
Carrick Castle
Carrick Castle is a 15th-century tower house on the west shore of Loch Goil, Argyll, Scotland. It is located between Cuilmuich and Carrick, south of Lochgoilhead....
. In 1693 it was in the hands of Sir John Colquhoun of Luss
Luss
Luss is a village in Argyll & Bute, Scotland, on the west bank of Loch Lomond.-History:Historically in the County of Dunbarton, its original name is Clachan dubh, or 'dark village'...
, who feud
Fiefdom
A fee was the central element of feudalism and consisted of heritable lands granted under one of several varieties of feudal tenure by an overlord to a vassal who held it in fealty in return for a form of feudal allegiance and service, usually given by the...
it to Archibald MacAulay of Ardincaple. According to the 19th century historian Joseph Irving, in the mid 18th century the ruined Faslane Castle "furnished a shelter to the last representative of a once powerful family"—the last clan chief
Scottish clan chief
The Scottish Gaelic word clann means children. In early times, and possibly even today, clan members believed themselves to descend from a common ancestor, the founder of the Scottish clan. From its perceived founder a clan takes its name. The clan chief is the representative of this founder, and...
of the MacAulays of Ardincaple
Clan MacAulay
Clan MacAulay is a Scottish clan. The clan was historically centred around the lands of Ardincaple, which are today consumed by the little village of Rhu and burgh of Helensburgh in Argyll and Bute. The MacAulays of Ardincaple were located mainly in the traditional county of Dunbartonshire, which...
.
Fraser stated in 1869, that no buildings or any part of the castle was then visible. He stated that the only remaining trace of the castle was a green mound, which overlooked the junction of two deep glens, between two small rivulets of which the banks were steep. William Charles Maughan stated that the site of the castle could be distinguished, at the time of his writing, "by a small mound near the murmuring burn which flows into the bay". Maughan also wrote that at Faslane there stood an oak
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
tree at place called in Scottish Gaelic Cnoch-na-Cullah (English: "knoll of the cock"); and that according to legend, when a cock crowed beneath the branches of the old oak upon the knoll
Hillock
A hillock or knoll is a small hill, usually separated from a larger group of hills such as a range. Hillocks are similar in their distribution and size to small mesas or buttes. The term is largely a British one...
, a member of Clan MacAulay
Clan MacAulay
Clan MacAulay is a Scottish clan. The clan was historically centred around the lands of Ardincaple, which are today consumed by the little village of Rhu and burgh of Helensburgh in Argyll and Bute. The MacAulays of Ardincaple were located mainly in the traditional county of Dunbartonshire, which...
was about to die.
It has been stated that the site of Faslane Castle was destroyed when the West Highland Railway
West Highland Railway
The West Highland Railway was one of the last main lines to be built in Scotland. It is one of the most scenic railway lines in Britain, linking Fort William on the west coast to Glasgow. It was originally operated by the North British Railway.- History :...
was built over top of the site, in 1891–1894.
St Michael's Chapel
56°4′10"N 4°48′53"WNear the site of the castle is St Michael's Chapel . Fraser described the ruins of the chapel as measuring 43 by. He stated that stones had been removed from the site, except for two gable
Gable
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system being used and aesthetic concerns. Thus the type of roof enclosing the volume dictates the shape of the gable...
ends that still stood at the time of his writing (1869). He wrote that the foundations of what was reputed to be the priest's house, could still be seen between the chapel and the barn. On the site he noted that on the site of the stream, located beneath the bank, there was a spring
Spring (hydrosphere)
A spring—also known as a rising or resurgence—is a component of the hydrosphere. Specifically, it is any natural situation where water flows to the surface of the earth from underground...
called "The Priest's Well". George Chalmers
George Chalmers
George Chalmers was a Scottish antiquarian and political writer.-Biography:Chalmers was born at Fochabers, Moray, in 1742. His father, James Chalmers, was a grandson of George Chalmers of Pittensear, a small estate in the parish of Lhanbryde, now St Andrews-Lhanbryde, in Moray, owned by the family...
, and the late 19th and early 20th century architects David MacGibbon and Thomas Ross
MacGibbon and Ross
David MacGibbon and Thomas Ross were Scottish architects. Their practice, MacGibbon and Ross was established in 1872 and continued until 1914...
, stated that the chapel had apparently been dedicated to St Michael
St Michael
St Michael was a brand that was owned and used by Marks & Spencer from 1928 until 2000.-History:The brand was introduced by Simon Marks in 1928, after his father and co-founder of Marks & Spencer, Michael Marks. By 1950, virtually all goods were sold under the St Michael brand...
, and that it may date from the 13th or 14th century. In 1963, the OS visited the site and noted that the chapel and the south wall had been rebuilt (without mortar
Mortar (masonry)
Mortar is a workable paste used to bind construction blocks together and fill the gaps between them. The blocks may be stone, brick, cinder blocks, etc. Mortar becomes hard when it sets, resulting in a rigid aggregate structure. Modern mortars are typically made from a mixture of sand, a binder...
), to a height of 1.3 metres (4.3 ft). However, there were no traces of the original burying ground, the priest's house, or the well. The site is currently situated within a modern cemetery.
The website for St Michaels Roman Catholic Church, in Dumbarton, states that there is a tradition of dedicating churches to the saint within the area. For example, in Glen Luss, there are the remains of a pre-Reformation
Scottish Reformation
The Scottish Reformation was Scotland's formal break with the Papacy in 1560, and the events surrounding this. It was part of the wider European Protestant Reformation; and in Scotland's case culminated ecclesiastically in the re-establishment of the church along Reformed lines, and politically in...
church dedicated to the saint; in Helensburgh there is an Episcopalian
Scottish Episcopal Church
The Scottish Episcopal Church is a Christian church in Scotland, consisting of seven dioceses. Since the 17th century, it has had an identity distinct from the presbyterian Church of Scotland....
church named 'Saint Michael and the Angels'; and in the Middle Ages there once was a chapel dedicated to St Michael in the Strathleven area of Dumbarton.
Shandon Castle
56°3′6"N 4°47′59"WShandon Castle was a castle which once stood near the town of Shandon—the town is situated between site of Faslane and the town of Helensburgh
Helensburgh
Helensburgh is a town in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It lies on the north shore of the Firth of Clyde and the eastern shore of the entrance to the Gareloch....
, which is situated on the shores of the Gare Loch. Fraser described the site of Shandon Castle as being on a hillside, above the house of Shandon. Fraser stated that remains of the castle still existed at the time of his writing and that the site was called "the old Dun
Dun
Dun is now used both as a generic term for a fort and also for a specific variety of Atlantic roundhouse...
". According to Fraser, no traditions concerning the castle then existed.
See also
- Clan MacAulayClan MacAulayClan MacAulay is a Scottish clan. The clan was historically centred around the lands of Ardincaple, which are today consumed by the little village of Rhu and burgh of Helensburgh in Argyll and Bute. The MacAulays of Ardincaple were located mainly in the traditional county of Dunbartonshire, which...
, a Scottish clan which was once centred near the castle sites. - Mormaer of Lennox, once lords of the Lennox district.