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Duntrune Castle
Duntrune castle stands on a rocky promontory on the north side of Loch
Crinan with a wide prospect on all sides except north and
north-west. The enclosure is probably late medieval and the tower house inside
c.1600. Restoration and alterations were undertaken in 1796 when the castle
came into the hands of Neil Malcolm of Poltalloch and was further modernized
and extended between 1954-7 by Col. George Malcolm of Poltalloch.
It is still in the Malcolm family and is in use as a family home.
The exterior of the castle consists of an enclosure with the curtain
wall standing about 5m above the courtyard. The battlemented top
probably dates from the late 18th century as do the gateway and
forework. Near the west angle is a door (now a French window) which originally
served as a postern or sea-gate. The Tower house is a 3 storey L plan
building with projecting stair tower. The main block and wing have
crow-stepped gables. Nearly all the window openings have been modified.
The building is of random-rubble construction, heavily pointed and
rendered and the dressings are of green chloriate-schist and schistose
sandstone. The exterior is devoid of early architectural detail.
In the interior, the ground floor of the Tower house is vaulted
throughout and originally consisted of cellars and services for the upstairs
accomodation. The corridor is slab roofed. The first floor was divided into a hall
and chamber, the latter is now a dining-room restored in the 18th century
with a classical chimney-piece. The second floor has been modernized and
sub-divided.
Old Duntrune Castle
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