CHAS’ & RUBY’S 2006 UK TOUR Thursday, June 1st: CASTLE CAMPBELL PAGE ONE

HAR! Brodie took a wrong turn while heading to Castle Campbell,
and we ended up WAAAAY down a wrong road.
But! We had tonz o’ fun chasing loose SHEEP while there!

I even have a SOUVENIR from that wrong road trip!

(Something I had to “smuggle” into the US!!! LOL)

The parking lot for Castle Campbell is QUITE THE HIKE from
the Castle itself! (Above RIGHT is a pic of the Castle taken FROM
the parking lot!) Ruby would NOT have enjoyed this!

“Set in a magnificent situation, perched on a promontory between the
Burn of Care and the Burn of Sorrow, high in Dollar Glen, in Clackmannan,”
CASTLE CAMPBELL began as a TOWER HOUSE that dates from
the 15th Century. As often is the case, several “ranges” were added to the original
structure during subsequent years.

“Castle Campbell (or Castle Gloom as it was once called, derived from the Gaelic
"glom" meaning chasm) is one of the most romantic castles in Scotland. On a clear
day, the view from the castle ramparts over the small town of Dollar far below –
and across Fife to the estuary of the river Forth – is spectacular.
The approach to the castle, up a very steep, narrow road (in first gear if you are
in a car) brings home how defensible it must have been in the days when only
a fortunate few owned a horse.”

Upon reaching Castle Campbell (Huff – Puff!)

we enjoyed touring the exterior “ruins.”

Then, we headed INTO the Castle’s TOWER HOUSE. [I know! This isn’t a very good pic. But, for some reason, I LIKE IT! LOL]

There were several BLOCKED STAIRWAYS … and
INTERESTING NICHES inside.

There also was this very interesting “PIT PRIZON”

Here is Brodie, in a room on the third floor of the Tower House that was probably the “Lord’s Inner Bed Chamber”

“The stone vault over the [Lord’s Bed Chamber] was added in 1600 …

it has cross-ribs, with a ridge-rib running from end to end.”

“The highlight of the vault is a pair of grotesque ‘green man’ masks,

from the mouths of which lights would have been suspended.”

Among my FAVORITE Castle Campbell bitz: The “LATRINE CLOSETS”

[Is that a 15 Century URINAL above on the LEFT?!!!]

These “Latrine Closets” were located both INSIDE (above) and OUTSIDE (at left & below) the Tower House.

GO TO ANOTHER CASTLE CAMPBELL PIX PAGE:

VEIWS From the TOP o’ CASTLE CAMPBELL

CASTLE CAMPBELL “RHODODENDRON HELLS!” & FERNS

OR, GO TO THE NEXT TRIP PAGE:
BRODIE Takes CHAS To ALOA TOWER

If you have information or suggestions for Ruby & Chas’ 2006 UK TOUR Website
– or PHOTO contributions for it! –
PLZ Email CHAS!
c-d-miller@neb.rr.com
That’s: c-d-miller@neb.rr.com –
those are hyphens/dashes (-) between the “c” and “d” and “miller”