Ever heard of Castle Campbell? Me neither. Now, of course, we have.
This is Sam in dappled sunlight at the lower of two suitable car parks if you wish to visit.
"The lower car park" I hear you ask. Oh yeah baby. Castle Campbell is situated in a very easily defensible position, on top of a narrow ridge between two deep ravines carved by the Burn of Care and the Burn of Sorrow, backed by the Ochil Hills.
So yes, it is hilly! And a challenge to get there, with some of the route as steep as 1 in 8. But what a reward when you arrive. This is the view of the castle from about halfway up the approach road.
And this is the gatehouse. Complete with two gun-slits, fashionable at the time of construction.
The courtyard has been lowered during upgrades. The original level was at the top of this wooden stairway, and was the service entrance.
The tower is the oldest part, and is typical of the time with oblong construction and few windows.
This is what remains of the south range, a later and much more luxurious arm of Campbell Castle.
Allegedly the recess on the left is where the lord would display his best tableware, just like Hyacinth Bucket and her hand-painted Royal Doulton periwinkle porcelain.
Ignore the child's red ray-gun at the bottom of this hole, here is the Pit Prison. It is inside a tiny room used as the castle's prison. Freemen were held above ground, serfs were chucked down the pit and forgotten about.
The lord's bedchamber, the top floor of the tower. Beautifully cross-ribbed with a binding arch-rib, the two green men reliefs would have lamps hanging from their mouths.
In case you forgot, Castle Campbell is in Scotland.
The views all round are stunning. This is a very beautiful place. Look north and you see the Ochil Hills.
To the south you can look down the glen to the town of Dollar. On clear days you can see Stirling and the Forth bridges - when we visited the haar was too thick.
Due to the position of the castle the gardens are tiered.
Sam and Dad having an excellent adventure.
The south range has a modern replacement floor thanks to H&S needs.
A toilet, sixteenth century stylee!
Castle Campbell eventually succumbed to destruction when Cromwell was in charge of the New Model Army.
This is the gateway into the gardens.
The castle still looks great from the garden in this day and age, it must have been even better when the gardeners worked their socks off to make it beautiful.
There's always some pillock who ruins your best photos....
There's an odd pillar of rock at the end of the gardens, legend has it carved by a giant warrior. Another, maybe more believable legend, is that John Knox, promoter of Protestant-ness and inventor of the Pot Noodle, would preach sermons to large crowds from this rocky outcrop.
Is there an age when rolling down slopes stops being fun? Maybe when osteoporosis arrives?
The other end of the gardens passage.
An extremely rare (for Scotland) loggia, an Italianate architectural feature.
The remains of the stringed east range, built around 1590.
Austere frontage was a defensive necessity.
Spot The Cock!
On the walk back down from the castle we stopped to drink from a crystal clear and freezing cold brook. Delicious.
And as we drove home we snapped this view along the Ochil Hills....
...and this of old Kincardine Bridge from new Kincardine Bridge. Castle Campbell is a beautiful place to visit, HIGHLY recommended!
