Dumbarton Castle and the ancient strongholds it has been built upon, has the longest recorded history of any stronghold in Scotland. It's ancient name of 'Alt Clut' means Rock on the Clyde river and was once the principle seat of the Damnonii tribe in Roman Times, later becoming the stronghold of the Britons of Strathclyde after the Roman's left Britain. The Briton's are left to defend themselves against the new and growing threats of the Germanic Angles from Northumberland in the east, as well as increased raids across the sea from Ireland in the West, as well as the the growing power of Scots from the Kingdon of Dia Riata in the North-West, as well as the long-standing threats of the Picts from North-East. Later still raiding Vikings would challenge the very existance of all these ancient people, including the Briton's in their citadel at Dumbarton.

This fabulous location overlooks the Scottish town of Dumbarton, and sits on a long-extinct volcano known as Dumbarton Rock which is 240 feet high and 300 million years old. 

Due to its location the layout and design of the castle is all about how to fortify the natural defences, so its very irregular with a section close to the waters-edge and a second up at the two rocky pinnacles, accessed through a gatehouse and steep staircase built into the middle of Dumbarton rock.

Access to the castle is quite easy with limited parking nearby next to the football club house.

~ Early History ~

450 ~ St Patrick writes to King Ceretic (Coroticus), King of the Britons of Strathclyde, at his fortress of Alt Clut (the 'Rock of Clyde), reprimanding him for attacking fellow Christian's from Ireland and selling them into slavery to the pagan Picts, 'a foreign people who do not know God'.

590 ~ The Britons of Alt Clut under King Rhydderch Hael ('the Generous'), join the Scots under King Aedan of Kintyre into battle against the Picts. Later, Aedan 'the Trecherous' turns his attentions on his allies 'coming to the court of Rhydderch Hael  at Alt Clut leaving neither food not drink nor living beast'.

642 ~ The Britons led by King Owen defeats and slays the Scottish King Domnail Breac. Later in the same year the Briton's are also at war with Oswald, King of Northumberland. During this conflict Northumberland gains the upper hand which sees the Britons subject to their Northumberland neighbours.

649 ~ The Britons and Picts are once again at war.

685 ~ The Britons regain their independence from Northumberland after the Picts attack Northumberland.

711 ~ The Britons at Dumbarton are at war with the Scots at Dunadd Fort and the Kingdom of Dal Riata.

744 ~ King Oengus (Angus) of the Picts, following his subjugation of the Scots of Dal Riata, attacks the Briton's of Strathclyde to test their resolve, intend on a later full scale onslaught on Dumbarton.

750 ~ King Teudebur of Dumbarton defeats Oengus's Pictish forces led by his brotherTalorgan at the Battle of Mygedawg, which see's Talorgan killed in battle. Never before had Oengus power been successfully resisted by any kingdom. Oengus's fearsome military reputation, honed by more than two decades of victories against his neighbouring rival kingdoms of Scot's, Briton's and Angles, gives new belief that the Picts are not invincible, especially to the still subjugated Scots of Dia Riata.

Following this vistory King Teudebur dies and is succeeded by his son King Dyfnwal.

However, any hope is short-lived as King Oengus moves quickly following King Teudebur's death to enter negotiations with the ambitious King Eadberht, ruler of the Angles of Northumberland, who have already wrestled part of Ayreshire away from the Strathclyde Briton's. The two King's agree to launch a two-pronged assualt with the Picts attacking from the North and the Angle's from the East. This combined army of Picts and Northumberian's besiege the Britons in their fortress of Dumbarton.

Dumbarton falls to the combined forces and is burnt. King Dyfnwal is forced to surrender and give tribute payment to save his people.

The combined Pictish and Northumberland armies take their payment and loot to head back to their respective homelands. Whilst marching back home with his army King Eadberht is ambushed and his army utterly routed. The identity of the attackers is never revealed whether it was the defeated Briton's bent on revenge, or Picts under King Oengus having used the Northumberbrian's to defeat the Briton's and in doing so take the full tribute and loot for himself.

King Oengus dies 11 years later as undisputed King of The Picts and Scots of Dai Riata. Following his death the Northumbrian's give a disparaging obituary of a King of 'bloody crimes and tyrannical slaughter'.

780 ~ The royal citadel of Dumbarton is burnt to the ground.

870 ~ Vikings led by Olaf 'the white' of Dublin and Ivar Beinlaus 'the crippled' besiege Dumbarton for four months with a huge fleet of two hundred ships. Victorious they plunder the fort and enslave its inhabitants and together with Picts, Scots and Northumberland Angles already captured prior to arriving at Dumbarton, transport them back to Dublin. Among the prisoners is Arthgal, King of the Briton's of Dumbarton.

872 ~ The Scots King Constantine persuades Olaf and Ivar to assassinate Arthgal  in order to clear the way for Rhun, husband of Constantine's sister, to attain Dumbarton and the Strathclyde kingship as a puppet kingdom to the Scots.

Around the same time of Arthgal's murder Olaf is slain in battle against Constantine whilst on a plundering expedition.

937 ~ The Britons of Strathclyde join the forces of Scots and Vikings against their common enemy the English. Their combined forces are defeated.

945 ~ Strathclyde is utterly ravaged by the English King Edmund, who gives Strathclyde to Malcolm I of Scotland as part of a peace deal.

971 ~ The Britons of Strathclyde revolt against Scottish rule, killing the Scottish King Cuilean in battle.

1018 ~ Owen the Bald of Strathclyde is killed in the Battle of Carham fighting alongside the Scots against the Northumbrians to successfully regain Lothian for Scotland. As a result, Strathclyde is annexed into Scotland.

~ Post dark age History ~

1034 ~ Malcolm II, King of Scotland dies and is succeeded by his grandson, Duncan of Strathclyde, now part of the Kingdom of Scotland.

1098 ~ King Edgar of Scotland is forced to cede Argyll and the Hebrides to the King of Norway. Dumbarton is now an important frontier stronghold.

1113 ~ Prince David, younger brother to King Alexander I of Scotland, rules southern Scotland including the kingdom of Strathclyde.

1124 ~ Prince David, with the backing of his one-time sponsor King Henry I of England, is crowned King David I of all of Scotland following the death of his brother. He is however forced to engage in ten years of warfare against his rival and nephew, Máel Coluim mac Alaxandair.

1135 ~ Following the death of King David's patron King Henry I, he supports his own niece, Empress Matilda, to the throne of England. In the process, he comes into conflict with King Stephen but despite military setbacks is able to expand his power in northern England.

1222 ~ King Alexander II erects a new castle at Dumbarton.

1230 ~ King Haakon IV of Norway sends a fleet into the Clyde, sailing past the new castle at Dumbarton, against the Scots in retaliation for King Alexander attempts to retake Argyll.

1263 ~ King Haakon personally leads an enormous armada against the Scots resulting the Battle of Largs which results in the Treaty of Perth three years later, returning the Hebrides to Scotland. Dumbarton Castle is no longer a fronter stronghold.

1296 ~ King Edward I of England invades Scotland. The constable of Dumbarton Castle soon surrenders the keys to the castle after seeing the might of Edward's army. A Yorkshire knight, Sir Alexander de Leeds is made constable of the castle for King Edward.

1297 ~ Following William Wallace's victory at Stirling over the English, the garrison at Dumbarton Castle flee. Wallace has three English knights sent to the castle as prisoners for the next two years.

1305 ~ William Wallace is himself imprisoned in Dumbarton Castle following his capture near Glasgow by Sir Menteith.

1333 ~ Following the Scots defeat at the Battle of Halidon Hill, Robert the Bruce's son, David II and his Queen Joan, are brought to Dumbarton Castle for their safety. They eventually fee to France.

1369 ~ Donald of Islay, heir to the powerful kingdom of Lord of the Isles, as a seven-year-old minor, is imprisoned at Dumbarton Castle as a hostage for his father's good behaviour and loyalty to the Scottish Crown.

He is finally freed two years later upon the succession to the Scottish Crown by his grandfather as King Robert II.

1489 ~ King James IV besieges Dumbarton Castle held by the rebellious Earl of Lennox. The first siege fails after Lennox orders the town burnt to the ground. The second siege is successful after the King orders his great siege gun, Mons Meg, dragged across the country from Edinburgh Castle. He later uses the castle as his base upon which to launch his campaigns against the rebellious Lords of the Isles.

1514 ~ The rebel Earl of Lennox regains the castle following the Kings death. His men enter the castle by burrowing under the North Entry.

1515 ~ The Duke of Albany, cousin to the late King, arrives from France and captures the castle, installing a French garrison, imprisoning Lennox and taking the title of Governor of Scotland.

1523 ~ The Duke arrives at Dumbarton from France with a large force ready for the invasion of England. The invasion never takes place, and he is eventually forced to flee back to France, taking his French garrison with him.

1531 ~ King James V secures Dumbarton Castle for the Crown for his own campaigns against the MacDonald Lord of the Isles.

1547 ~ The Scots suffer a disastrous defeat against the English at the Battle of Pinkie. The four-year-old Mary Queen of Scots is taken from her home in Stirling Castle for safety. As the situation deteriorates, she is taken to Dumbarton Castle by her mother, Mary of Guise. Following an outbreak of smallpox at the castle Queen Mary of Scots is nearly killed. Eventually she and her mother escape to France.

1563 ~ Upon Mary's return to Scotland she dines at the castle.

1568 ~ Following Mary's flight to England and civil war in Scotland, Dumbarton is garrisoned for the Queen.

1571 ~ A raiding party of 100 men, led by Captain Thomas Crawford, breach the castle defences by climbing the precipitous rock taking the defenders by complete surprise. The following onslaught see's the garrison jump the walls rather than be captured and executed.

1652 ~ Oliver Cromwell's troops take the castle without any resistance.

1660's ~ Following the Restoration of the Monarchy under King Charles II, limited improvements are made to the castle.

1730 ~ Major General Wade orders wholesale refortification of the castle's defences. For the remainder of its history the castle serves as a state prison.