Castles of Scotland - Pictures of Castle Campbell which sits high in the Ochil Hills above the town of Dollar near Stirling. Now owned by the National Trust it was once known as Castle Gloom (see below) and having the Burn of Sorrow on its west side and the Burn of Care to the east you could be pardoned for thinking it the ideal location for a horror movie and yet its setting is comparable with any of the other Castles of Scotland.
I have visited and photographed the Castle several times and seen it from all angles, but the closer you get to it, the harder it is to show its surroundings and every shot I had taken, was the same as every image I had ever seen - boring. I finally found what I think is the best angle for pictures of Castle Campbell and instead of another boring image, I feel I now have another photograph which captures the Landscape of Scotland, I hope you agree.
The castle stands on what was reckoned to be the site of a fortification dating back to the middle ages. In the early 15th century the lands of Glume or Glowm belonged to the Bishop of Dunkeld, during the latter part of the century the castle became the property of the Campbell family and in 1489 by an Act of the Scottish Parliament its name was changed. Many notable Scots visited the castle including Mary Queen of Scots and John Knox who is said to have preached in its halls also Robert Burns and Sir Walter Scott.

The town of Dollar lies at the foot of the Ochil Hills in the 'Wee County' of Clackmannanshire. Stirling is a twenty minute drive away and a delightful drive it is, passing through the Hillfoot villages of Blair Logie, Menstrie, Tillicoultry and Alva with the Ochils towering above each.
Steep sided Glens cut into the soft rounded tops of the Hills and their burns drove the mill wheels in many of the villages, a well marked 'Mill Trail' through the villages can be followed.
For the more energetic there are great walks and climbs to be had in the Ochils. The highest point is Ben Cleuch at 720m and from its top you can enjoy marvellous vistas to the hills of the north and views to the south as far as the Forth Bridges and Berwick Law. The shining waters of the River Forth can be seen looping their way past Stirling Castle heading for the estuary at Grangemouth.
The map below shows detail of a grand walk taking in a visit to Castle Campbell, follow the path to the top of King's seat, continue north and down to near the scource of the Burn of Sorrow, then head for Tarmangie Hill and on to the top of Whitewisp Hill. At this point head northeast and pass the small forest on your right, then take off down the side of the plantation to meet up with the old drove road which goes over to Glen Devon. You may now be feeling a little tired as you head back down to the castle, but do not stop for a nap at the Maidens Well as it is said to be haunted and that death will come to anyone who falls asleep there. Now that you know that, the legs are suddenly feeling ok again and its off at a steady canter for that well earned dram.

Image produced from the Ordnance Survey Get - a - map service.
Image reproduced with kind permission of Ordnance Survey
and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland.