Barcaldine
Castle is a particularly attractive L-planned tower house, completed in 1609 by Sir Duncan
Campbell of Glenorchy. The castle was an integral part of the Massacre of Glencoe, for
MacIan of Glencoe was detained here for 24 hours in a plot to prevent him from swearing
the oath of allegiance to William III in the given time.
The doorway at the foot of the
re-entrant spiral stair still has its yett, c.1600. The stair leads up to the wainscoted
great hall, which has an armorial fireplace. A secret doorway leads to the small stair up
to the bedroom floor. The spiral stair goes to the top floor, where the library has
displays on the Campbell family and the castle, as well as on the artist F.C.B. Cadell who
lived here for a time. The tour descends to the Argyll Room which is reputedly haunted by
the ‘Blue Lady’ – Harriet Campbell, who is said to be heard playing the
piano. The attractive Laird’s Parlour is located off the great hall. In the corner of
the hall a tiny stair drops to the ground floor vaults, now the location of the castle
kitchen, dining room and stores. In the passage is a grating over the bottle dungeon.
The
Campbells abandoned Barcaldine in 1735 when they moved to Barcaldine House. The estates
were sold between 1836-43, but Sir Duncan Campbell bought the tower and restored it from
1896-1912. His, and earlier, arms are located on external walls. |
