Dumbarton Castle

Today another glorious day , so we had the usual long meander round the three Lochs, Loch fyne, Loch Long and Loch Lomond to Dumbarton to visit my brother.

On such a beautiful day we just had to wander along the River Clyde to Levengrove park , got lots of shots of the trees in blossom. Off course a visit here just has to involve photoshoots of Dumbarton Castle Rock .

Large might be worth a look if you have time.

For those of you who might want to know a bit more about our illustrious castle it is the oldest known stronghold in Britain having been a fortress since the 5th century. Much of the very early fortress was destroyed at the timeof the Viking raids. Many famous Scots including William Wallace and Mary , Queen of Scots were held prisoner here before going on to trial and grisly deaths.

Because of its strength and strategic position control was hotly contested in the many power struggles which characterise 14th to 16th century Scottish history. The present Castle contains 17th and 18th century buildings ? sites for gun batteries, a magazine for ammunition, a prison reputedly used for French prisoners during the Napoleonic Wars, and the Georgian governor?s house. During the later 17th and 18th century there were threats of a Jacobite uprising and French invasion to underline its strategic importance. It was garrisoned right up until the Second World War