Scheduled Monuments›Scotland›Carrick Castle

Carrick Castle

Scotland
HES SM2495
Nation
Scotland
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Historic Environment Scotland

Overview

History & significance

Carrick Castle is a medieval castle situated on the Cowal peninsula in Argyllshire, Scotland. The castle dates from the 13th century and was built as a stronghold of the MacDougall lords of Lorn, commanding an important position on Loch Goil. The structure comprises a rectangular keep of characteristic Scottish castle design, constructed to defend against both local rivals and external threats during the medieval period. The site reflects the strategic importance of maritime control in the western Highlands during the later medieval centuries.

Carrick Castle is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM2495. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Carrick Castle?

Carrick Castle is a medieval castle situated on the Cowal peninsula in Argyllshire, Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM2495.

Who is responsible for protecting Carrick Castle?

Carrick Castle is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Historic Environment Scotland — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in Scotland. The official designation reference is SM2495.

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Carrick Castle

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Carrick Castle's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with every monument and battle plotted, and a plain-language history built only from what the record holds.
Monuments
The legally protected scheduled monuments around the location, each with its period, type and significance.
Battlefields
The battles and sieges fought on this ground, mapped and set on a timeline of the wider conflict.
Roman Britain
The Roman roads, forts and towns near here, and the Iron Age people who held the land before Rome arrived.
Stat Accounts
The parish Statistical Accounts of the 1790s and 1830s, describing life, work and population here.
Civil War
The Civil War fighting, garrisons and recorded militaria in this area, woven into the arc of 1642 to 1651.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back hundreds of millions of years.
Local Names
What the street and field names around here actually mean, and the history buried inside them.
Historical Maps
Ordnance Survey maps from the 1800s, layered over the location as it stands today.
Literature
The books, county histories, charters and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Legal
The protected sites nearby and the metal-detecting, access and treasure laws that apply to this ground.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Target Zones
For detectorists: the most promising ground to search nearby, ranked by confidence, with what to expect.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from prehistory to the present day.
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Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

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Nearby

Other scheduled monuments within 10 km

Dun Daraich, fort, Glen Finart, Cowal
Iron Age · Fort, glen finart, cowal5.4 km
The ground beneath

The bedrock under Carrick Castle

Carrick Castle stands on Southern Highland Group, bedrock that formed in the Middle Cambrian. The rock here is psammite and pelite.

All Scheduled Monuments