Climbing to the Castle of Cups

Inveraray is the seat of the Duke of Argyll, chieftain of Clan Campbell. Thus it became, in the eyes of Campbells anyway, the capital of the southern Highlands.

The Campbells have come home

Until about 1600, the main power in the Highlands was MacDonald, Lord of the Isles. The Duke of Argyll aimed to take his place – by the normal methods of intrigue and armed attack on neighbouring clans, but also by collaboration with the legal government in Edinburgh and the King in London. Clan Campbell would hit you with fire and the sword, but also with a writ from the Privy Council. As a result they became the most powerful and the most universally disliked of all the clans.

In 1691, King William demanded an oath of loyalty from the rebellious Highland chieftains. MacIan of the Glen Coe MacDonalds was required to sign his oath in Inveraray. He hesitated over this visit to the capital of his hated rivals, and eventually arrived two days after the deadline. His delay was made the pretext for the Campbell-led Massacre of Glen Coe.

When a Campbell was murdered in Appin 60 years later, the suspect, James Stewart of the Glens, was tried at Inveraray before a jury of Campbells, with Argyll himself as judge. The hanging of Stewart, who was almost certainly innocent, is still resented in the MacDonald country.

Argyll rebuilds

With the breaking of the clan system in 1745, Argyll felt confident enough to pull down his fortified castle and rebuild in a grand residential style that suited a wealthy landowner who no longer needed to resort to violence to keep control over his lands.

The present building, greatly admired by Sir Walter Scott, is described as a country house in the style of a castle. Its grey stone, quarried from just above the town, is sombre, but tones well with the muted green and blue of the Campbell tartan.

The Duke of Argyll completed his ambitious rebuilding scheme with avenues and bridges; one of the bridges forms an elegant entry to the town on the A83. This walk crosses the Garden Bridge, designed by John Adam (1721–92) of the Scottish family of architects. To go with his new castle, Argyll decided he needed a new town – some say that old Inveraray was simply too closee to the castle. The whole layout of castle and town is seen from the summit of Dun na Cuaiche (Castle of Cups).

Follow the seafront past the Argyll Hotel and bear left towards Inveraray Castle. At the first junction, turn right past a football pitch with a standing stone. After the coach park on the left and the end wall of the castle on the right, the estate road on the left is signed 'Dun na Cuaiche'. It passes a memorial to clansmen who were killed for religious reasons in 1685, to reach the stone-arched Garden Bridge.

Just before the bridge, take a track down left to the riverside. It follows the river upstream around a bend, then runs through woods near the river, to exit at a road junction. Turn right, across a small road bridge over the river.

Over the bridge turn right on a tarmac estate track, then bear left on a rougher track. With open field on your left, you'll see a small gate into woods on the right – this will be the return route to the castle. Opposite this small gate, turn left up the open field, to rejoin the track above its zig-zag. Here a gate with stile alongside leads on up into woods.

Soon you pass some ruined buildings on your left. The uppermost of the three is a lime kiln. Limestone and coal were tipped into the top of the cylindrical structure on the side facing the path. The hearth opening where the fire was lit must have been on the opposite side, but is now buried. The track continues slanting uphill, with recent clear-felling giving views over forested low hill to the northwest. A circular, stone-built gatepost is above the track, and then it doubles back up to the right. As it passes through a disused wall there are two more circular gateposts. The track re-enters trees, and narrows to a well-built path with zig-zags up to the hilltop.

Wander up right to the true summit, before dropping a few steps to the shelter of the stone-built viewing hut just below. After enjoying views of Loch Fyne and Inveraray through the various draughty openings, descend the hill by the same track.

Past the lime kiln (passed earlier on the upward path) and the gate with a stile, fork right off the track, re-crossing it below to the small gate already noted. This leads into a wood. The path runs down to the Garden Bridge. Return along the castle driveway to Inveraray.