📌 Dumbarton, West Dunbartonshire
★★★★
The views from the top of Dumbarton Rock are worth the visit alone – this is one of the most dramatically-sited castles in the country. The ancient volcano here has been a point of defence for centuries, with the buildings you see today dating from the 14th century or later. For outdoorsy types, the wonderful summit panorama (accessed by hundreds of steps) over the Clyde estuary and north into the Highlands is the key attraction. But the castle itself, composed of several buildings mainly clustered around the base of the rock, is interesting in its own right, with particularly impressive artillery fortifications. Scaffolding prevented views of the building exteriors on our visit, hence the lack of photos.
🌍 Location
📌 Top of Dumbarton Rock, off Castle Road 1 mi south of Dumbarton town centre
🧭 O.S. Grid Reference: NS 400744
🛰️ GPS coordinates: 55.936039,-4.562873
🚆 Dumbarton East (0.5 mi) | 🚌 Glasgow Road (A814) opposite Victoria Street or Leven Street (0.5 mi)
🚗 Car park
📝 Key info
⌚ Daily, 11 May to September 2024; Saturday to Wednesday, October to 10 May
🎫 £7.50 adult / £4.50 child / free for Historic Environment Scotland members
