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The ruin of Toward Castle from the air: its ivy-covered tower and the roofless walls of the courtyard among spring woods, the Firth of Clyde blue beyond.
Argyll and Bute

Toward Castle

The ruined tower house of the Lamont chiefs on the Toward shore of Cowal, raised around 1475 and left in ruins by the Campbells in 1646.

Welcome

Toward Castle was the seat of the Lamont chiefs, and its ruin still stands among the trees on the Toward shore.

The clan raised a tower house here around 1475 and enlarged it over the generations, until the Campbells laid siege to it in 1646 and left it in ruins. Today it's a wonderfully atmospheric place to explore, with the ivy-covered tower, the walls of the old courtyard and outbuildings, and the arched gateway, all on a little hill above the Firth of Clyde. Its grand successor on the estate, Castle Toward, went up a few hundred metres away in about 1819, designed by David Hamilton for Kirkman Finlay. The ruin is a short walk up through the woods from the shore road, so wear good shoes. It pairs well with Castle Hill in Dunoon, where the clan's memorial stands.

A short drive awayCastle Hill, Dunoon14 min by roadSee itCastle Hill, Dunoon
Before you go

Open at any time, all year.

Where
In the woods above the shore road, about a mile west of Toward, at the southern tip of Cowal, PA23 7UE.
Getting there
From the layby on the shore road, walk 200 metres west with the sea on your left. Just before a sharp right bend, a gap in the stone wall is signed to Toward Castle. A rough path leads up through the trees to a track, which bends round to the castle.
Parking
The layby on the shore road. Keep the gate opposite clear.
Please note
Castle Toward, the big house in the grounds, is a private home. Keep to the path to the ruin.

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Where it is

In the woods above the shore road, about a mile west of Toward, at the southern tip of Cowal.

Close byToward, Dunoon and Cowal.
  1. The front of Rock Cafe on West Bay in Dunoon, painted with a big ROCK sign, a caveman carrying a tray and a stone wall, bunting along the roof.Rock CafeA café on West Bay in Dunoon looking across the Clyde, for breakfasts, lunches, cakes and Argyll Coffee Roasters coffee.8 miles 13 min by road
  2. Mist on the hills above the still water of the Holy Loch.Holy LochA short sea loch in Cowal named for Saint Munn, home to American nuclear submarines from 1961 to 1992 and quiet again now.10 miles 20 min by road
  3. The avenue of giant redwoods at the entrance to Benmore.Benmore Botanic GardenThe Royal Botanic Garden's mountainside garden in Cowal, entered by an avenue of redwoods planted in 1863.14 miles 26 min by road
  4. Pines on a point, mirrored in the still water of Loch Eck.Loch EckA long, quiet loch in the Argyll Forest Park, with red squirrels on its shores and the rare powan in its depths.18 miles 32 min by road
  5. A walker on Ardentinny Beach under the trees.Ardentinny BeachThe longest beach on the Cowal peninsula, on Loch Long, backed by forest, with a shore path to Carrick Castle.21 miles 40 min by road
Directions
Glenstriven House, a white Victorian house with grey stone corners, at the top of a gravel drive between lawns, with a wooded hill behind.Argyll and ButeGlenstriven HouseSleeps 15 · 8.0 miles

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Stay nearby

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

Glenstriven House, a white Victorian house with grey stone corners, at the top of a gravel drive between lawns, with a wooded hill behind.Glenstriven House
  • Sleeps 15
  • In Argyll and Bute
  • 7 miles from Toward Castle
Free 25–27 OctThe Hollies, Argyll and ButeThe Hollies
  • Sleeps 18
  • In Tighnabruaich
  • 9 miles from Toward Castle
Check datesA stone cottage with a slated roof sits nestled among dense woodland, two paddleboards resting on the lawn in front.Red Squirrel Cottage
  • Sleeps 6
  • In Lochgoilhead
  • 20 miles from Toward Castle
Check datesSeal Cabin, Argyll and ButeSeal Cabin
  • Sleeps 2
  • In Lochgoilhead
  • 20 miles from Toward Castle
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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