NS3368 : Duchal Castle (remains)
taken 8 years ago, near to Duchal Mains, Inverclyde, Scotland
A word of caution: Tread very carefully if you visit this site. The castle is in a ruinous state, with heavy, but fragile walls that have been undermined by the effects of time and weather. There are very deep holes in the ground, with 7m drops to the river gorge below. These holes are hidden amongst the foliage and ready to catch the unwary explorer.
Located beside Duchal Bridge, just down the hill from East Green Farm, the castle occupies a rocky triangle of land between two gorges at the confluence of Green Water and Blacketty Water. A third, man-made gorge protected the third side of the castle, although this cannot be clearly discerned today.
The castle is in ruins, with only a few parts of the outer walls and parts of the inner keep surviving today (May 2016). The remains of what appears to be a well are fairly intact. The area that was the courtyard is comparatively level.
Parts of the castle are thought to date from the 13th Century, with the keep dating from the 14th Century.
Built by the Lyle family (the name "Lyle" is reputedly derived from the site of the castle which was an "isle"), the castle changed hands to the Porterfield in the mid-16th Century.
It is reputed that Mons Meg Link was used to bring an abrupt end to a siege at the castle in the mid 15th Century.
Further detailed reading can be found at the stravaiging.com web site Link and also at the Canmore web site Link .