Book Now and Save
01360 870 144

Dumbarton Castle

Dumbarton Rock

Visit Dumbarton Castle and conquer more than 500 steps to get to the top of Dumbarton Rock. Located only 18 miles away from us at Loch Lomond Waterfront, you must witness the breathtaking views of the Clyde, Loch Lomond, and Agryll from Rock of the Clyde.

The Castle sits atop a volcanic rock that was formed and active about 340 million years ago. However, the Castle’s history goes back 1,500 years. Initially known as Alt Clut or Rock of the Clyde, later called by its Gaelic name Dun Breatann (Fortress of the Britons) finally became Dumbarton.

Dumbarton Castle History

Throughout its long history, the Castle acted as a royal residence and a fortress. It even saw military action during the Second World War. In the Dark Ages, Dumbarton Rock was a great fortress and was besieged several times, including by the Vikings. The Castle was finally built by Alexander II of Scotland in 1220 as a defence against the threat from Norway. Moreover, Dumbarton Caste also played a part in the Scottish Wars of Independence.

Furthermore, during turmoils in the 16th century, Mary Queen of Scots sheltered in Dumbarton Castle in 1548 for her safety before being shipped to France. So there are many fascinating things to find out when you visit this wonderful castle.

Things to do

As the Castle is situated atop a rock, there are plenty of things to climb. And once you have reached the top you can admire the beautiful surroundings. You can climb the White Tower Crag and sometimes even see as far as the peak of Ben Lomond! Are you interested in the Castle’s military history? Then take in the artillery fortifications to see fine examples of early 18th-century military architecture. Once you are there why not step into the Governor’s House, a fine Georgian residence, and have a look at some interesting artefacts found at the castle.

Plan your visit to Dumbarton Castle

Dumbarton Castle is only a 35-minute car ride away from us, which makes for a perfect day trip destination! The tours are guided by friendly staff and at the end of it, you can enter a wee shop. Find out more information on opening times and tickets and plan your visit today!

Book Accommodation

Testimonials

  • Our own private beach

    'Just walking along the West Highland way path past some of the crowded beaches made us realise the value of having your own private waterfront onto the loch.  I can still picture walking down to the lochside on our first evening and watching an osprey dive for a fish!'

  • Could not have been happier

    'We could not have been happier with our choice of Loch Lomond Waterfront as our wedding venue! The amazing, stunning and extremely scenic location is really just the start of a long list of great things about this venue. We loved having site exclusivity for the whole weekend, it really made the atmosphere fun and got everyone socialising well. The wedding coordinator/manager, Sheena, is AMAZING and a total credit to the venue!! She is a dynamo that makes everything seem easy. We also loved how much flexibility and choice we had with pretty much everything about our wedding, and how...

  • The staff go above and beyond

    'The staff were fantastic and massive thank you to Rafal who was great checking everyone in on Friday and who also went above and beyond and took my grandparents back to their holiday cottage in Milton of Buchanan after the wedding!'

  • A special place in our hearts

    'Everyone has said it was the best wedding they have been too! We will definitely be back and the Waterfront will always have a very special place in our hearts.'

  • Couldn't ask for a better day

    'We wanted to thank you so very much for all the hard work which went on behind the scenes both in the lead up to, and on the day of, our wedding.  We could not have asked for a better day.  Everything was exactly how we wanted it to be and a lot of that is down to all the hard work of Sheena and your staff.  We have had so many compliments about how much everyone enjoyed our wedding.'

Rooms

Offers

Dining