Castle Campbell

We took a drive to Clackmanannshire on Sunday afternoon. It was nice and sunny on the coast but as we drove inland the clouds started to roll in and by the time we squeezed our way into a car park perched precariously on the edge of a hill in the little village of Dollar, it was quite drizzly. We were prepared with rain gear, and pressed on. It was quite a hike to the castle itself, and Leah insisted on walking it by herself. We sent David and Emma up ahead so they didn't have to wait for us, and so that we could have some extra time for Leah and John to splash in all the puddles and streams on the way.

Castle Campbell is a large tower castle that was built on a large ridge in the 15th century. It was originally called Castle Glume (clearly named on a day like today), but when the Campbell clan took over, they tried to brighten up the place a bit by adding some garden terraces. It's hemmed in by two deep ravines, one called the Burn of Sorrow and the other called the Burn of Care. The castle itself is impressive in that all four floors are in great shape and are accessible by an impressive circular staircase. The setting, though, is the real attraction. We tried not to oversell the castle to Leah, since her idea of a proper castle is still in line with what she sees in books and we know this one may not measure up. She was impressed nonetheless, though, and when we spotted David and Emma inside the caste walls, she ran up to them shouting, "Daddy! We found the largest castle in the world!"

After a quick tour of the tower and the surrounding range, we headed down a muddy path that led to the ravine. The rain had created some impressive waterfalls and the ravine is full of mossy rocks and ferns. John had brought his muck boots along on this trip, and so he really got to explore every nook and cranny. It was a bit too "slippy" for Leah, so David followed behind with her, alternating between holding her hand, and carrying her by the scruff of her snowsuit like she was a baby bunny when the ravine got too deep. It was a lovely hike, and in parts resembled New Zealand more than Scotland. It was a bit damp, but we had dry clothes and hot tea waiting for us in the car at the end!