Royal Castle of Tarbert *

Region: Argyll & The Isles

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Description:

The ruins of Tarbert Castle are not very remarkable, but the view from the castle over the harbour is great. Clearly visible is the very spot where Magnus Barelegs dragged his vessel across the isthmus from Tarbert to West Loch Tarbert to claim Kintyre in about 1098. This was symbolically repeated by Robert Bruce in the period after the Battle of Bannockburn, when the king is known to have taken possession of the castle. The castle occupies the summit of a flattish-topped rocky ridge and comprises three main parts; the most prominent, the tower-house, is the most recent, dating to about AD 1500.