- Type
- Castle
- Location
- Scotland, United Kingdom
- Coordinates
- 55.9360°, -4.5628°
History
In the early Middle Ages Dumbarton Rock was Alt Clut, capital of the Britons of the kingdom of Strathclyde. In 870 the Viking kings of Dublin, Olaf and Ivar, besieged it for four months and took it when the defenders' well ran dry. In the 13th century Alexander II built a royal castle here to guard Scotland's western frontier. In 1548 the rock sheltered the young Mary, Queen of Scots, who sailed from here to France. In 1571 the regent's supporters took the castle by scaling the cliff at night. Most of the present buildings are 18th-century artillery works, and a garrison remained until the 20th century.
What to see
Hundreds of steps cut between the rock's twin summits lead up to the castle. On the way you pass a medieval gateway and the 18th-century Governor's House, and the higher summit, White Tower Crag, offers wide views of the Clyde estuary, Glasgow and the hills around Loch Lomond. Gun batteries and a powder magazine survive, and a small exhibition tells the castle's story.
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