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Argyll and Bute

Carnasserie Castle

The Renaissance tower house of John Carswell, first Protestant Bishop of the Isles, at the head of Kilmartin Glen.

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Carnasserie Castle stands on a rise at the head of Kilmartin Glen, looking down over one of the richest prehistoric landscapes in Scotland, and it was built as the home of John Carswell, the first Protestant Bishop of the Isles.

Visited and photographed by Simon Hird

The Earl of Argyll granted him the lands in 1559, just before the Reformation, and Carswell raised an accomplished house, joining a five-storey tower and a hall range into a single building, with finely carved Renaissance detail and gun-loops for defence.

Carswell made his name with his pen: his translation of John Knox's Book of Common Order, printed in 1567, was the first book printed in Gaelic. Over the door a Gaelic inscription asks God to be with Ó Duibhne, forebear of the Campbells. In 1685, during Argyll's rising against James VII, Royalist forces captured the castle and partly blew it up, and it has stood a roofless ruin ever since. Historic Environment Scotland looks after it, and you can wander freely through the tower and hall.

Before you go

Carnasserie Castle is in the care of Historic Environment Scotland and is open to visit.

It stands on a rise at the head of Kilmartin Glen.

Where
The head of Kilmartin Glen.
Care of
Historic Environment Scotland.

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Did you know

A ruined stone tower keep with a stepped gable, connected by a lower wing to a second tower
Did you know

The first book in Gaelic.

Carswell's translation of John Knox's Book of Common Order, printed in 1567, was the first book printed in Gaelic.

The roofless stone interior of a ruined castle, arched window openings and mossy walls rising on either side
Did you know

Granted in 1559.

The Earl of Argyll granted the lands to his servant John Carswell, rector of Kilmartin, in 1559, just before the Reformation.

A ruined stone tower keep rising on a mossy hillside, a metal gate set into a low wall below
Did you know

Carried 23 miles.

When Carswell died in 1572 he was carried 23 miles to be buried at Ardchattan Priory.

Stone steps climbing a grassy slope towards a ruined tower keep, autumn leaves scattered along the path
Did you know

Blown up in 1685.

Royalist forces captured the castle and partly blew it up during Argyll's rebellion against James VII.

An information board reading Welcome to Carnasserie Castle mounted on a mossy stone wall
Did you know

God be with Ó Duibhne.

The Gaelic inscription over the entrance, DIA LE UA NDUIBHNE, asks God to be with Ó Duibhne, forebear of the Campbells.

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Where it is

The head of Kilmartin Glen, Argyll.

Close byIn Kilmartin Glen.
  1. Standing stones in a frosted field in Kilmartin Glen.Kilmartin GlenOne of Scotland's richest prehistoric landscapes, with more than 800 monuments within six miles of Kilmartin and a museum to explain them.1 mile 2 min by road
  2. Kilmartin church and its churchyard.Kilmartin StonesMedieval West Highland grave slabs of warriors, swords and interlace in the churchyard at Kilmartin.1 mile 2 min by road
  3. Nether Largie Standing StonesNether Largie Standing StonesFive tall stones in Kilmartin Glen raised some 3,200 years ago, thought to mark the rising and setting of the moon.2 miles 3 min by road
  4. Dunadd FortDunadd FortThe rock of the Gaelic kings of Dál Riata in Kilmartin Glen, with footprints carved for the making of kings.5 miles 10 min by road
  5. Duntrune CastleDuntrune CastleThought to be Scotland's oldest continuously occupied castle, on a rock above Loch Crinan, home of the Malcolms since 1792.6 miles 16 min by road
  6. Achnabreck Rock ArtAchnabreck Rock ArtCup and ring marks carved into the rock some 5,000 years ago, among the finest prehistoric rock art in Scotland.8 miles 12 min by road
Directions
The overgrown stone walls of Kilmory Oib among bright green bracken and trees.AttractionsKilmory Oib Township8.0 miles
A path between azaleas and rhododendrons in flower.AttractionsArduaine Garden9.1 miles

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The Daily for 24 October, from Scotland with love. a stone arch bridge crossing a rushing gorge below a moss-covered cliffside building, autumn trees on both banks

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Stay nearby

Places to stay near the castle, and when each is next free.

Glencruitten House, Argyll and ButeGlencruitten House
  • To stay
  • In Oban
  • 18 miles from Carnasserie
Check datesTimber cabin with copper roof beside a loch, shaded by oak treesUisge Bothy
  • Sleeps 2
  • In Oban
  • 18 miles from Carnasserie
Check datesBlack timber-clad cabin with corrugated roof and stove flue, set among trees and long grassBeatha
  • Sleeps 2
  • In Oban
  • 18 miles from Carnasserie
Check datesA landscape view of the whitewashed cottage in low evening sun, its blue doors, lit lamps and teak chairs, smoke rising from the chimney.Fern Cottage
  • Sleeps 4
  • In Croggan
  • 18 miles from Carnasserie
Check datesPlaces to stayEvery stay in Argyll and ButeAll our places to stay nearby, to search by date and by who is coming.See them all
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We want to show you the best that Scotland has to offer. The makers and the creatives, the enduring experiences, the evocative tales, the concealed corners. The roads less travelled that take you to places that matter. The adventures that gather you up and sweep you away. The blend of the wild and the artistic that makes Scotland what it is. We’d love for you to join us.

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What we have written about it and more in Argyll and Bute.

From the magazineKilmartin GlenFrom the magazineScotland’s Quiet Season Begins
More in Argyll and Bute
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For further reading, before you go. The details on this page were checked on .